


We're more than friends

by Wrath_of_Roses



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Character Death, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 37,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23415289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wrath_of_Roses/pseuds/Wrath_of_Roses
Summary: This takes place right after 2x14.The Super-squad try to save Josie from the dark magic who cast a spell on one of the members. Hope tries to understand her heart.(I’m sorry, I’m really bad at summaries )
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Milton "MG" Greasley & Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 34
Kudos: 343





	1. The one with Dark Josie

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction ever. If this is a flop, I probably won’t post the rest. Anyways, this is what I imagined could have happened after the black and white episode. It was fun to write I hope you enjoy it. If you have any ideas or opinions, please comment and leave kudos. Enjoy ;)

**Hope’s POV**

“Landon and I are doomed.”

I was sitting on the edge of Raf’s bed. Rafael was sitting next to me, apologetically. My head was pounding so much I had to hold it to keep myself from collapsing. I felt awful. How could I do this to him? If I had never gone into that damn simulation everything would be fine. I could have ignored everything and been with Landon, but that wasn't possible anymore. There always seems to be something that stops us from getting our happily ever after. 

“Hey, hey. It’s just a simulation.” Raf said as he started to reach for my hand but ultimately decided against it.

“Then why does it feel so real?” I stated as I shed a tear.

*  
That night I couldn’t sleep. My bed was hard, it was too warm, the walls were closing in. I had to get out. I threw my covers off, swung my legs out of bed and reached for my shoes. I put them on and left.  
The halls were deserted which didn’t surprise me. It was way past curfew, and no one wanted to leave their dorms since the news of Josie turning dark had spread. I couldn't blame them. They hadn’t seen her, but I had. She truly had changed. The dark magic has taken control.

I had found myself in the lounge room of the school. Since it was empty, I decided to sit in front of the fireplace and watch the flames until they died down. I pulled my legs to my chest and rested my head on my knees. 

I found myself thinking back to the day I was here with Landon. We had just fought the Oneiroi and I went to look for my little phoenix. Once I did however, he was with the guys playing music and having a good time. So, I wound up in front of the fireplace. He must have seen me since barely a minute had pasted before he, himself, was sitting next to me. He had made this whole speech about how he would fight for me because I was worth fighting for but, lately I feel like this relationship is too much. He’s always telling me I can do it, that I’m a hero but being a hero has put his life in danger over and over again. I keep choosing something else over him. He nearly died last time. The simulation only confirmed what I knew deep down. 

I felt a light tap on my shoulder that caused me to come back to reality. I turned to see what it was when I saw Lizzie Saltzman looking at me. Josie must have been on her mind. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were red as if she had just cried. 

“Hey, sorry. I said you name but you didn’t hear me.” She said softly. 

“No worries.” Was all I managed to say as I turned my attention back to the flames.

I could hear shuffling as Lizzie sat down next to me. I felt her staring at me. She was probably trying to find something to say. 

“What’s wrong?” She finally asked after a few minutes.

“Nothing.”

I didn’t feel like talking and I doubted Lizzie wanted to hear about my boy troubles when she had more important stuff to think about.

“Hope Andrea Mikaelson. I can tell when something is on your mind. Now spill.” 

It took me a moment to think about what I wanted to say, trying to hold back my tears.

“Just … some boy trouble. Nothing for you to worry about.” I chuckled slightly, trying to throw her off guard.

I could feel Lizzie’s gaze shift to the last few flames in the fireplace. She seemed disappointed. Maybe she wanted something to distract her after all.

We watched as the last few flames died down. The moonlight shone through the windows, helping us find our way back to the hallway leading us up to the girl’s dormitories.

We walked together in silence. Once we reached my door, I opened it and bid Lizzie a good night. She opened her mouth slightly letting a syllable slip but quickly shut it, turned on her heals and walked away. I frowned slightly then walked over to my bed. Once I fell into my bed, I pulled the covers up and went to sleep with thoughts of Landon and Josie.

*  
The sound of a knock on my door woke me up. I looked at the clock on the wall and read 6:45. I groaned as I threw my covers off and went to open the door. I was greeted by a smiling Landon holding a tray with waffles and coffee.

“Hey beautiful.” He said as he leaned in for a quick kiss. “Guess who finally cracked this whole phoenix flying thing. Me!”

He was practically giddy, skipping as he walked into my room. I closed the door behind him, and I joined him on my bed. He put the tray on the bed next to me.

“So, to celebrate I made you these waffles.”

He still had a huge grin as he leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head and he kissed my cheek. He leaned back frowning.

“Are you okay, Hope? Did I do something wrong?”

He reached for my hand and squeezed it. 

“Thanks” Is all I managed to say. 

The simulation was still fresh in my mind. I didn’t know how to act around him. I felt a hand on my chin, delicately turning my head to meet his. 

“Hey whatever it is you can tell me.”

I looked into his eyes filled with compassion. He was so sweet. I knew this was going to break his heart, but I must do it. I took a deep breath before I started talking.

“Yesterday, Emma put us in a simulation of our own creation. It’s supposed to help you understand yourself. Once you complete the game you get your word and you can leave. I had a choice. Either I chose you or I saved Lizzie and I chose you. I had bought a bus ticket and everything. It felt right, it felt great. However, I found myself saving Lizzie instead. That’s when my word appeared Landon. Not when I chose you but when I chose someone over you. If I had gotten on that bus, I would have never gotten my word. If I had picked you, I would still be stuck in that simulation.” The room fell silent as I mustered up the courage to say what I had to say next. “I think we should break up.”

Landon’s hand was shaking in mine. He was looking everywhere else but at me. I couldn’t blame him. After a few minutes of silence, he yanked his hand away and stormed out of my room.  
My heart was tightening around my chest. I could barely breath, and my head was pounding. I slipped off the bed, taking the covers with me. The tray Landon left splattered all over the floor. I wrapped myself tightly in my covers as I cried on the floor until I passed out.

**Lizzie’s POV**

I woke up to my alarm rigging. I reached for my alarm clock and turned it off. As I sat up, I turned to look at Josie’s side of the room and felt instantly sad. The bed was empty. Of course, she wouldn’t be here. I got out of bed, had a quick shower and got ready silently. It was 7 o’clock when I headed to the cafeteria for breakfast. I sat at my usual table with MG, Rafael and Kaleb. As soon as I did MG wished me a Happy birthday. I had completely forgotten that today was our birthday. My heart twinge a bit; this was supposed to be a happy day. Instead I was worrying about what Dark Josie was going to do next. I needed Hope’s help.

Throughout my breakfast I kept sneaking glances at the door waiting for her to appear. It was 7:50 and I still hadn’t seen her. Landon stormed in though. He seemed mad, practically shaking.

“What’s up with the muppet?” I asked Rafael.

He shrugged and went back to his conversation with MG and Kaleb. It was nearly time for classes to start and there was still no sign of Hope. I got up and went to talk to Landon. I found him in the hallway, turning a corner.

“Hey muppet!” I shouted. “Landon!” 

He stopped in his tracks and turned around as I caught up with him. 

“Have you seen Hope? She wasn’t in the cafeteria.”

“Why should I care?” He turned on his heals and walked away angrily.

“Okay, rude.” I scoffed.

The bell for class rang but I ignored it. I went to find Hope, I needed her help to get Josie back. I looked in the library, she wasn’t there. Then the old mill, no one. I finally went to her room. I knocked on the door, no answer. I opened it and saw Hope passed out on the floor with waffles and coffee spilled next to her.

“Shit Hope, what happened to you?” 

Hope woke up to my yelling. She looked dazed. 

“What are you doing on the floor?”

“I broke up with Landon.”

She pulled herself up and sat on her bed, her duvet still wrapped around her. 

“You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.” 

Uhr I hate when she does that, it’s infuriating. I wasn’t going to push though; I needed her focused. That might be selfish of me, but I honestly couldn’t care less right now. 

“What do you want Lizzie?” She seemed frustrated.

“I need your help to get Josie back. We need to find a way to get that dark magic out of her so we can celebrate our birthday together. No twin should celebrate their birthday apart from their other half.”

Hope nodded. What the fuck? Use your words! This girl really gets on my nerves sometimes. I had to hide it though today, she was hurting. It’s not fun to poke her like this and if Josie ever found out I did she would be so mad. 

Hope hadn’t moved from her bed, so I went to pick out some clothes from her wardrobe and threw them at her. They landed on her knees. I think she got the point as she let the duvet fall back onto the bed and went to take a shower. Twenty minutes later she was back, and I had cleaned her side of the room. I couldn’t stand the sight of the squashed waffles and splattered coffee for another minute. 

“Happy Birthday Lizzie. I know it’s not how you wanted to spend it but still.” Hope said with a small smile.

“My birthday can wait. When we get Josie back, we will celebrate it. In the meantime, I don’t want to even think about it.”

Hope just nodded as she dried her hair with a towel. 

The bell to signal the end of first period rang. 

“We should probably go find your dad.” 

I agreed and we headed to my dad’s office.

**Hope’s POV**

Lizzie barged into Doctor S’s office. Once we were in, we noticed they were in a sort of meeting. There was Alaric, Vardemus, Jade (for some reason), MG and Kaleb. I was relieved not to see Landon.

“About time you two showed up.” Josie spat.

She was sitting on Alaric’s desk with her legs crossed and her arms holding her up. Both Lizzie and I were surprised to hear her talk to us like that. Why was she even here? Blondie and I went to sit on the sofa.

“Girls, glad to see you made it.” Alaric said.

Lizzie and I looked at each other. Were we supposed to know about this meeting?

“Made what exactly?” I asked.

“We’re here to find a way to save Josie.” Jade sighed.

Okay, what is wrong with her?

“Well yes, but it seems like you didn’t get the memo.” Alaric said. “As I was saying, we need to find a way to reach Josie, our Josie. Is there a spell that will allow us to do that?” 

He turned to Vardemus who shook his head, then to me.

“When I was possessed by the hollow, I remember being stuck in my mind, terrified. It was only when my dad appeared and told me to fight that I had the courage to do so. Maybe that’s what we should do.” I said. 

The room was silent for a few minutes. I never talk about my experience with the hollow, it’s too painful. Alaric shook his head and turned to Kaleb.

“Do you think you could take me into her subconscious, Kaleb?” 

“No.” I said sternly staring at Alaric. “I’ll go, I’ve done it before with the necromancer. I know what to do. I can do it again.”

Alaric and MG looked at each other, then turned back to me.

“Are you sure, Hope? I mean last time didn’t g…”

“I’ll be fine.” I said, cutting MG off. “Besides it’s better I go than a human. No offense Alaric.” 

Another hour of debates past before we had a plan to get our Josie back.

**Lizzie POV**

“Where’s Hope and Kaleb? Seriously they should be here by now!”

I started pacing around the gymnasium frantically whilst MG eyed the room in curiosity. 

“They should be here any minute now.” 

He said as he moved towards a stack of carboard boxes in the middle of the room. I joined him. The boxes were open, and I noticed the decorations Josie and I (mostly myself) had picked out months ago for our party. I mindlessly picked up one of the blue banners Josie had picked out wondering where she might be.

A sudden thud made me jump, dropping the banner on the floor. I turned around to see something resembling my sister at the door with a devilish smirk on her face.

“My sister. Happy birthday to us!” She said.

“Josie? Hey!” MG said walking up to her with open arms.

Josie walked further in the room, approaching him. They hugged. Josie’s eyes turned black then whispered something in MG’s ear. He collapsed. Josie walked over him, chuckling. Proud of her little stunt.

“What did you do to him?” I spat.

“You’ll see, when he wakes.” She said simply, walking up to me.

She bent down to pick up the blue banner I had dropped moments before. 

“Tut tut tut. Little Josie Saltzman had no taste.” She threw it back in the box, setting all the boxes on fire. “Luckily, I have my own.”

With a flick of her hands, decorations zoomed through the room and set themselves up. In less than two minutes the entire gymnasium was decorated. The tables were covered by black tablecloths, there were black balloons in every corner, everything was either black or silver. It felt like a proper goth party.

“Here’s the best part.” She whispered.

She clapped her hands and the big banner opposite the entrance dropped down to reveal, in big shiny letters, Happy Merge Day. My jaw dropped, my heart started thumping out of my chest and I started feeling lightheaded.

“But…We can’t, we’re not even twenty-two.” I mumbled.

“Actually, we can. It’s like smoking or driving. No one really wants you to do it before a certain age, but you can still do it. Besides, I want to get it over and done with. Say your goodbyes sis because tonight, you die.” 

I was paralysed. I can’t believe Josie was going to make me do the merge today. My head was spinning, and Josie could tell. She opened her mouth to say something but collapsed onto the floor. Before I could react, I saw Hope appear out of nowhere, catching Josie before she fell.

“Are you okay Lizzie?” She asked as she sat down, putting Josie’s head on her lap.

I started nodding but eventually shook my head. I sat down besides Hope looking at my sister. Hope was stroking Josie’s hair. I instinctively lifted my eyebrow. Does Hope like my sister? Oh god, what if they started to date? Oh no. Lizzie get those thoughts out of your head! 

“Lizzie? Earth to Lizzie?” Hope waved a hand in front of my face. “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh… Uh… Nothing.” I lied.

As if he read my mind, my dad came running in with Kaleb behind him. He stopped when he saw the banner. He turned his gaze to me then to Josie and back to me. He ran to our side and hugged me. He shuffled to Josie and kissed her on the forehead. He came back to my side.

“Are you okay Lizzie?” He looked up at the banner dangling a few feet away from us.

“I will be when we get Josie back.” My dad nodded.

Whilst we were talking, I saw Kaleb getting ready to pick up Josie, but Hope refused. She picked her up herself and headed to dad’s office. Kaleb frowned then watched as she left. Hope turned around and with her foot pointed to an unconscious MG on the floor. “Oooh.” Kaleb said and soon followed Hope out with MG in his arms.

Dad and I went to join them a few minutes later. The entire walk there was in an awkward silence. Dad didn’t know what to say and I didn’t feel like starting a conversation. Once we walked in, Josie was already on the sofa, her head resting on the armrest. Hope and Kaleb were hovering over a still unconscious MG. 

“Lizzie. Do you know what Josie did to MG?” Kaleb asked.

“Nothing good. I don’t think he should be around anyone he can eat.” 

Dad nodded and asked Kaleb to put MG in one of the werewolves transitioning cells. Soon enough the two vampires were gone. Our attention drifted back to Josie. 

“Are you sure you can do this Mikaelson?” I asked. 

“Yes.” 

I examined her face, looking for any sign of weakness but I couldn’t find any. We waited another three minutes before Kaleb returned. 

“Okay, let's do this.” He said as he walked over to my twin and squatted to be at her level. Hope hovered around Josie’s head and placed both hands on her temples. 

“Bring my daughter back.” My dad said.

They both nodded and turned their attention back to Josie. Kaleb reached for her hands and Hope closed her eyes.


	2. The one where she must face her fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, thanks for the nice comments and kudos, I really appreciate it

**Hope’s POV**

I woke up on the forest floor. I stood up and noticed the old mill only a few feet away. 

“Josie? Josie?” I called out.

No answer. It was dark and foggy; I could barely see. A twig broke, my eyes turned gold as a growl slipped through my lips.

“Josie?” I said worriedly.

I swear I saw something. With my wolf eyes I could see clearer, it was still foggy but at least I could make out the trees a few feet in front of me. So, I started walking towards what I hoped would be the school. From time to time I would jump a bit when I heard a twig snap or leaves rustle, instinctively turning my head trying to find the source but I never saw anything. I kept on calling Josie’s name, trying to catch a glimpse of her scent, nothing. I started panicking. I had been walking for hours. 

I stopped in my tracks and looked around. Something is wrong. I should be at the school by now, it’s only a twenty-minute walk. I looked around, I’m sure I’ve been here already. 

My thoughts were interrupted by a small devilish chuckle that echoed throughout the forest. I turned around to see, in between two trees, the fog lifting. 

“Jo?”

“Guess again.” A familiar – yet unsettling – voice said.

A figure emerged in between the two trees, strolling forward. I could recognise those legs anywhere. It was Josie. As she walked closer, I noticed she had darker hair, black eyes and her red plump lips curled into a smirk. This wasn’t Josie, this was dark Josie. 

“You.” I said with a low growl.

The girl’s smirk grew as she tilted her head and looked straight into my eyes, as if she was reading my soul.

“Now, now, little wolf, you and I both know you won’t hurt me. You couldn’t even if you tried. With one flick of the wrist I could expel you from my mind or trap you in yours. Whatever I want really but what’s the fun in that, huh? Oh honey, don’t look so startled what did you expect to find in Josie’s subconscious? Princesses and enchanted creatures? What would that make me I wonder… Ah, the wicked witch but unlike her I don’t want to kill Josie. At least not yet. I like to play with my food. In fact, why don’t we make this interesting?” 

Dark Josie lifted her hand and with a flick of the wrist the fog lifted, and the trees disappeared. We were at the edge of the forest. The Salvatore school was right in front of us.

“Let’s play a little game of hide and seek. Josie is hiding, you and I are seeking. The first one to find her can do whatever they want to her. Fair warning, if I find her, I’ll kill her. As for you Hope, you’ll live out the rest of your life trapped in your own mind with no way out.”

With that Dark Josie disappeared in front of my eyes. It took me a few seconds before I noticed I was running to the school. Once in I called for Josie, practically yelling her name. I quickly scanned the lounge room and the kitchen before heading to the dormitories. My heart was thumping out of my chest. Dark Josie’s threat repeating itself, in my head on a loop. 

Once I was in the girl’s dormitories hallway I listened for any sign of life as I walked. It was completely silent, until I heard something. Someone was whimpering. I followed the sound and found myself in front of… my dorm room? 

I pushed the door open and saw Josie at the foot of my bed. She was sobbing in her legs. She hadn’t even noticed I was there, that she was no longer alone. My heart sank at the thought of her being alone in here. A tear fell down my cheek as I reached for Josie’s shoulder.

“Jo? Josie?” I started rubbing her shoulder. She was shaking. “Josie, please look at me. I’m here to help. We’re going to get you out of here.” 

I pulled her into a hug. After a few moments she stopped shaking and her breathing was steadying.

“Hope?” She croaked.

I pulled away slightly, my hands resting on her upper arms. We locked eyes and I smiled slightly at her. I felt a tug, she had pulled me back into another embrace. She mumbled my name as she buried her face in the crook of my neck sending shivers down my spine. We stayed like this for a few minutes.

Reluctantly I broke the hug. My hands slid up to Josie’s cheeks. Instinctively wiping away her tears with my thumbs. 

“Jo.” I whispered. “Jo, we have to go.”

I saw a hint of fear in Josie’s eyes. 

“We can beat her. You can beat her.”

“She’s too powerful, Hope. You shouldn’t have come.” She said as she shook her head, burying her head back into her legs.

“She’s you Josie. At least some part of you, the worst part of you. Everyone has a part of themselves they hide, that they are ashamed of.” She lifted her head slightly, enough for us to lock eyes. “But you can beat her. You can control her, she’s still apart of you. You can do this because you are strong Josette Saltzman. I believe in you.”

All I wanted to do was pull her into an embrace and never let her go. I wanted to keep her safe, but I knew she could do it, and we didn’t have a choice.

I stood up and held out a hand for Josie. I could sense her hesitation. Sniffling a tad, she reached for my hand and I pulled her up. Once her hand fell into mine, my heart started racing. As soon as she let go, my body ached for her touch. What was going on? I shook my head, now was not the time to dwell on my sudden need to have Josie in my arms. We had to run.

I shuffled around the room to look for some weapons I usually had hidden. I checked in my wardrobe, nothing. Then under the floorboard under the bed, again nothing. Josie looked at me confused.

“What are you doing?” She asked frowning.

“Looking for some weapons. I usually have a crossbow in my wardrobe but…”

Josie walked to the wardrobe and picked up my crossbow, then turned to me.

“Is this what you were looking for?” I nodded. “You didn’t look very hard; it was lying here in plain sight.”

I fixed the crossbow in Josie’s hand then at Josie. That’s when it clicked. We’re in Josie’s subconscious, she has to believe something is there for it to appear. I had to test this theory out. 

I walked over to her and took the weapon from her hands. 

“Josie, in the top right-hand drawer of my desk there’s a charm bracelet. There’s enough magic for you to siphon to fight an entire army. I think it could be of some use to you.”

Josie walked over to the desk and opened the drawer. She pulled out the gold charm bracelet and eyed it for a few seconds. She closed the drawer and walked over to me.

“Can you put it on please?” I nodded. 

She gave the bracelet to me and pulled her sleeve up. Once it was safely secured my fingers grazed Josie wrist slightly. I looked up and saw a slight blush on Josie’s cheeks. I could feel a smile creep up on my face, but I shook my head and stepped back, letting Josie’s arm fall back to her side.

“All right, are you ready?” I asked, she shrugged. “That’s good enough.”

I grabbed onto her hand and whisked her out of the room. 

**Josie’s POV**

As soon as I saw Hope, I felt a mixture of relief and disbelief. Was it really her? Was she really here? Or was my dark self playing another trick? She likes taunting me, making me relive my most frightening experiences or live out my worst fears but this was different. 

Hope was pulling me behind her down the stairs to the first floor. Her crossbow in hand, she was ready to fight if need be. 

“We need to get out of here.” She whispered. 

She had just pulled me into the lounge room when we heard a small sarcastic gasp coming from behind us.

“Found you.” My dark self said cheerfully.

She flicked her wrist and the crossbow flew into the air, crashing into the wall. Hope growled, pulling me behind her. 

“Now, now, Hope. You know the rules of the game. I told you what would happen if I found the both of you. The question is who should I play with first?” Her gaze shifted between me and Hope. “How about little Josie Saltzman. I’ve been waiting to kill you; it was just a matter of the right time. Killing you in front of Hope seems … perfect.”

Hope was getting ready to pounce but dark me was too fast and cast a paralysing spell on her. 

“That’s better.” Hope growled. “Now, Josie. Tell me, how do you want to die? Be imaginative, I want to have some fun.”

I started panicking. My hands were trembling, and I barely had any strength to stand. I can’t do this, she’s too strong. I could barely breathe; it was like all the air was being sucked out of the room.

“Josie, you can stop all of this.” Hope’s words brought me back to reality. “You control everything in here. There was no crossbow in the wardrobe, but I said there should be one and you found it. Josie you can do this. You’re strong.”

“Silencio.” Hope’s lips disappeared. “That’s enough out of you little wolf. Now….” My dark-self turned to me. “Let’s have some fun, shall we.” 

Hope’s words reverberated in my mind as I started siphoning the bracelet. My dark-self’s eyes shifted between my glowing wrist and my eyes. She lifted her wrist to cast a spell, but I was too fast for her. 

“Incendio!” 

A ball of flame shot out of my hand, hitting dark me in the torso. She fell back by the sudden attack but was soon back on her feet.

“Did you really think a simple fire spell would defeat me?” She laughed.

I looked at her more confidently, a small smirk creeping up my face.

“No, that was just for fun because Hope was right. You can’t hurt me.” 

“Is that so?” She asked with a spark of evil in her eyes.

She yelled an offensive spell, but nothing happened.

“Wh..”

“Hope, would you mind?”

My dark-self’s gaze turned to Hope who eyes turned gold and her lips curled into a smirk. She pounced onto her, shifting into her wolf form mid-air. Pinned down on the floor, I walked over to my dark self and kneeled down to her face.

“What now? I’m always going to be here. You can’t get rid of me. I’ll always be a part of you.” She spat, trying to wiggle her way from under Hope.

“We’ll see about that. Have a nice nap.” I said tauntingly.

Before she could react, I conjured the arrow from the crossbow to my hand and stabbed her in the heart. 

**Lizzie’s POV**

We’ve been waiting for hours for them to wake up. Dad and I haven’t left their side since Hope jumped into Josie subconscious. After Kaleb was done with his part, he went to check on MG. He said he would come and get us as soon as he woke up. So far no one has.

“Dad, what if they never wake up?” I asked, looking at my dad sitting at his desk holding a glass of bourbon.

“They will wake up. They have to.”

His voice dropped to a whisper. I couldn’t who he was trying to reassure, me or himself. The room fell silent. 

The clock stroke seven signalling the end of dinner. Dad looked up from his empty glass and straight at me. 

“I’m going to get you some food okay.” He stood up and his gaze went to the two unconscious bodies. “Stay with them Lizzie. Come and get me if they wake up.” My dad said, patting my shoulder on his way out.  
I was alone for the first time since this morning. I had managed to not spiral but now I was alone there was nothing to distract myself from my own thoughts.

Hope’s been in Josie’s subconscious for over five hours and they are still not awake. What if they never wake up? What if Hope failed? What if they’re trapped and we don’t know? Can Hope die in there? Is Josie dead? Are they both dead? If Josie wakes up, is it going to be Josie-Josie or bitchy- I want to kill my twin Josie?

A sudden loud gasp pulled me back to reality. I looked up and saw Josie move. 

“Josie?”

I rushed to her side as she opened her eyes and sat up. Her hair was back to it’s light brown, she no longer had those god-awful green veins around her neck and her eyes were back to their normal brown self. I pulled her into a tight hug, tearing up.

“Josie! It’s really you! Thank god. I was going to kill Mikaelson if she didn’t hurry up and save your ass.” Josie chuckled, squeezing me a tad tighter.

I glanced at Hope who had just woken up herself. 

“Thank you.” I mouthed. She smiled. 

Dad walked in rubbing his temple with one hand and holding a tray of food with the other.

“You were supposed to come and get me if they woke up!”

He set the tray down on the table and ran to our side. He opened his arm and embraced us both, kissing both of our heads. He sighed in relief as he squeezed us tighter.

“Okay guys, this is nice and all, but I can’t breathe.” Josie giggled.

Dad and I both pulled back smiling. 

“Can’t even show you how much we missed you.” I said jokingly, hitting her slightly on her arm. Her eyes drifted to the food dad had brought in.

“Oh food! I’m starving.” She said, jumping off the sofa and running to the tray. She turned to face us and with a smile she asked. “Do you want something Hope?”

I had completely forgotten about miracle baby hovering over us. I turned to look at her, she was slightly blushing. 

“Yeah.” Hope went to join Josie and started eating. 

My brow raised instinctively as I watch the tribrid’s interaction with my sister. They sat next to each other on the sofa, giggling. Dad and I joined them. I sat opposite them on the floor and dad found a place next to Jo. We ate whilst dad made a few Dad jokes with Hope joining along. Every two minutes dad would pull Josie in for another hug. Dad seemed happy but that was about to change.

Hope was in the middle of another Dad joke when Kaleb barged into the room, worry written all over his face.

“Doctor S, he’s awake.”

“That’s fantastic news!” He replied smiling.

“No, no it’s not.” 

Dad frowned and stood up. He pulled Kaleb to the other side of the room and they started whispering. 

“Can you hear what they are saying?” Josie asked Hope.

“No.” She replied looking tense.

Barely a minute had pasted before dad mumbled a “Goodnight” and walked out with Kaleb in suite. I looked at my sister and Hope. I opened my mouth to say something, but Hope shook her head. Something tells me she heard everything my dad and Kaleb had said. I turned to my confused sister but didn’t know what to say. An awkward atmosphere filled the room. 

“I’m going to bed. You should do the same.” Hope said, standing up., breaking the silence. 

She turned to Josie and held out her hand, smiling. Jo smiled back and placed her hand in Hope’s, who pulled her up with too much strength. Josie stumbled onto Hope. Miracle baby steadied her and stared at my sister, for way too long if you ask me. They pulled back, both blushing and left the room hand in hand.

I think I’m going to be sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the first time I wrote a "fight" scene so I hope I did okay.  
> 


	3. The one with the witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry for the wait. I had writer's block.  
> It's a short chapter, sorry.  
> Hope you like it  
> Stay safe and wash your hands <3

**The necromancer's POV**

“What ? No! That’s what I get for pairing up with a teenager!”I yelled as I hit the side of the stone table, where the enchanted bowl, that let us spy on the Salvatore school, was. 

Chad and I were watching Josette in the gymnasium revealing her plan to her sister when she collapsed. The tribrid appeared out of nowhere and caught her before she fell on the floor. That’s when I lost it. My plan was ruined.

“Chad!”

“Yes?” He took a step closer.

“Plan B.” 

“Plan B… Plan B. What’s plan B again?” He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I sighed in frustration as I turned to face him. He took a few steps back. 

“Now that the little witch is as good as gone, we are going to steal her dark magic. Then I will have the power I need to have my revenge.”

“Right...And how are we going to do that?”

The door swung open and a young woman glided in.

“Maybe I can help.” She said with a mischievous smile.

“And who are you?” I ask.

“Shabinna. I’m Shabinna Eakon, and you’re going to like what I have to say.”

**Shabinna’s POV**

_New Orleans - 5 days earlier_

The smell of herbs hit my nose as I walked into the small apothecary. The bells jingled as the door opened, signalling my presence. A young woman walked down the stairs from the back of the shop and walked to the counter.

"Good afternoon." She smiled then turned her attention to the book she was reading.  
I walked further into the shop, my fingers gliding on the different jars of herbs at my disposal. The young woman shot glances at me from time to time but inevitably went back to reading her book. I took my time, opening jars to take in the scent of my favorite herbs before putting them back on the shelves. Half an hour later, I had found the ingredients I was looking for. I glided over to the counter and dropped everything on it, startling the shopkeeper. I faked a smile and she smiled back. Nina (or so it said on her nametag) scanned the articles and put them in a bag.

"That'll be $45." She said.

I pulled out my wallet and handed her a $50 note.  
"Keep the change." I said, taking the bag and exiting the shop.  
*  
Back at my apartment, I threw my bag on the sofa and walked over to my kitchen table. I pulled out the different jars. One said Belladonna, another Heliotrope, another Lilac and the last one Yew. I took the grinder from the sink and took a few leaves of belladonna. I then ground the leaves until they became pulp.

I walked over to the cupboard next to the fridge, and pulled out five candles, salt and lastly my voodoo doll. Once everything was on the table, I poured the salt. As I chanted, the salt started moving. A few moments later everything stopped. Before me was the devil’s pentagram with a lit candle at the end of each angle. Subsequently, I drank the belladonna and set the doll in the middle of the pentagram. My chanting resumed. The flames of the candles turned black and I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I was standing at the edge of a forest. The sound of laughter caught my attention. I took a few steps closer and saw children playing and teenagers huddled together, talking. I’m at a school.

I walked around the school grounds, staying in the shadows so no one could see me. I looked for any hints of where I was. As time passed, the magic this school was emitting grew stronger. This had to be a school for witches. My suspicion was verified, when a little boy with puffy hair ran towards a dying plant and brought it back to life. He smiled happily and ran back towards the school. 

Eventually, I found myself at the front gates of the school. The lock was in the shape of the school crest with the school name carved into it: The Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. I smiled slightly.

“Excuse me!” 

I turned around to see a student, probably in her late teens, marching towards me with determination. Her auburn hair bounced with each step she took.

“Hope! There you are!” Another girl said, jogging up to her.

So that’s Hope. I can finally put a face to the name of the precious Mikaelson’s niece.

“Not now, Lizzie.” She said, her gaze still fixed on me.

Lizzie caught up to her and grabbed her wrist. The auburn-haired girl stopped in her tracks and turned around, exasperated.

“I was looking everywhere for you.” The blond said.

This was my chance. I had found the girl. Smiling, I closed my eyes and concentrated. When I opened them again, I was back in my kitchen in New Orleans.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos and comments, they are really appreciated. I hope you like this chapter.   
> Enjoy and feel free to comment

**Josie’s POV**

_“Josie NO!” Lizzie screamed._

_My arm was outstretched, I was holding something soft and warm. Before I knew it, I pulled my arm back and the figure in front of me dropped to the floor. I looked down to see a heart in my hand and my dad on the floor, eyes wide open with a whole in his chest._

_I looked around; everything was dark. Behind me was a desiccated MG. A few feet away, Landon was on the floor, his eyes peering at me with a blank expression; he was dead._

_“No, no, no.”_

_I turned to face a hysterical Lizzie, on her knees surrounded by our dead friends and family. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at me._

_“What did you do?” She spat._

_My wrist flicked and she, too, collapsed._

_“Jo…” A voice whispered._

_I turned around and saw a blurry figure walking up to me. It was only when she stood inches away from me that I saw who it was, Hope._

_“This isn’t you Josie.” She said, with a hint of sympathy in her voice as she reached for my hand._

_“You don’t know anything about me.” I heard myself say, grabbing her wrist tightly, pulling her forward. Hope glanced at my free hand; her expression soon changed to fear. A tear fell down her cheek as she muttered my name. Before I knew it, I thrust an object into her abdomen and pushed her back. She started choking on her own blood as her hands found their way to the foreign object. I looked down and saw the white oak stake sticking out of her. Suddenly, she burst into flames, screaming._

I jolted awake, hyperventilating, tears running down my cheeks. I turned my head to check on Lizzie. She was sleeping peacefully in her bed. I let out a sigh of relief. I lied down and tried to go back to sleep. I turned to my side to watch Lizzie. A sudden wave of guilt overwhelmed me. I had to get out, I needed some air.

Throwing my covers to the side, I reached for my slippers, laid a small kiss on Lizzie’s forehead and headed for the door. I turned to look at her one more time before I left.

I started walking, not looking where I was going. No one would be awake, so I didn’t have to worry about bumping into anyone. As I walked, I tried to calm down. I had finally managed to stop crying, when I found myself in front of Hope’s door. For some reason I felt drawn there. I knocked before I even realised it. I turned to leave as the door opened to reveal a drowsy Hope.

“Josie?” She asked.

“Hi.” I said timidly, looking at my feet.

“What are … why aren’t you asleep?”

I couldn’t help it, I started tearing up in front of her. I felt a sudden tug on my wrist and the warm embrace that was Hope Mikaelson. Without me noticing, she closed the door and we were in the middle of her room. I found myself crying in Hope’s arms for the second time that day. After a while, I managed to compose myself slightly which Hope noticed because she pulled away leaving a small gap between us. 

“You must think I’m a mess.” I said sniffling.

“Not at all.” She smiled softly, then put her forehead against mine. “Want to tell me what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?” She asked as she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

“A bad dream.” I answered.

Hope only hummed in response. I was thankful she didn’t make me talk.

“If you want you, can stay here tonight. I mean, if you don’t want to sleep by yourself.” Hope said, stepping back and rubbing the back of her neck. She seemed nervous and I found it cute.

“That would be nice.” I said a few seconds later.

Hope guided me to her bed. She climbed in and left some room for me. I took my slippers off and joined her. I turned to my side, with one arm under my head and my other holding my side of the duvet.

“Hope?” I asked, tilting my head backwards. “Would you … um … spoon me, please? Usually Lizzie does but …”

“Yes Josie, I’ll be your big spoon.” She smiled.

I put my head back to its original position and soon enough I felt Hope’s body pressed against mine. A tingling sensation shot all the way through my body and rested in my belly. Hope’s hand found its way to my stomach, holding me. I moved in closer and drifted off to sleep.

**Hope’s POV**

When I woke up, I felt hair tickling my nose. It took me a few seconds to realise who was by my side; Josie. I felt a small smile creep up on my face. Having Josie by my side somehow felt… right. I found myself inhaling her scent, pulling her close. I couldn’t get enough of it, of her. She smelt of cinnamon and fresh autumn breeze, and it was amazing. My face was buried in her hair, inches away from her nape. If I leaned in closer, I could kiss it.

Before I could, Josie started moving. I pulled away as she turned around to face me, her eyes barely open, yet she still managed to smile.

“Morning Hope.” She said as she put her hand around my waist, moving in closer.

“How did you sleep?” I asked, trying to ignore my racing heart.

“Great, you?”

I hummed in response. I didn’t want to speak, I wanted to stay snuggled up to Josie. It felt like we were the only two people in the world. My wish wasn’t granted however, for a knock on the door indicated that there was indeed a world outside of my room.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and opened the door. Once I did, I saw Lizzie with her arms crossed and one foot tapping against the floor impatiently. She glanced at me, then at Josie. She didn’t seem at all surprised that Josie was in my bed.

“What do you want Lizzie?” I asked with a hint of annoyance in my voice.

“Dad wants to see us. All of us.” She said, her gaze now shifted to her twin.

I turned my head to see Josie sitting up, blushing slightly. She looks so cute.

“Meet us in his office in ten minutes.” Lizzie said before turning her heels, ready to leave. Finally. “Josie, are you coming?”

My attention turned back to Josie, who climbed out of bed and headed straight for the door. She mumbled a thank you, grazing her hand against mine (unintentionally no doubt) then left with her sister.

It took a few moments of me standing dumbstruck at my door before I composed myself and got ready. I took a quick shower, dried my hair with a quick spell, got dressed and headed to Doctor Saltzman’s office.

I started to wonder what the next monster would be, as that could be the only reason we were summoned. I was the first to arrive, so I walked into the office and sat down on the sofa, waiting. Less than five minutes later, the twins walked in. Josie was wearing her yellow jumper with the school logo on it and a black plaid skirt. It was a simple outfit, one that she had worn before, yet I couldn’t seem to peel my eyes away from her. She must have noticed, for a small blush appeared as they went to sit down next to me, with Lizzie in the middle.

We waited for another ten minutes, in complete silence. I was surprised Lizzie kept her mouth shut the whole time. Her shaking leg, however, was driving me insane.

“Could you please stop with the shaking, Lizzie?” I pleaded.

“Well, I’m sorry Hope, but some of us have actual lives which don’t include waiting for dad to finally show up.” She bickered, getting off the sofa and started pacing. “Uhr! Where is he?”

Josie and I shared a look and smiled. Lizzie noticed and stopped pacing.

“What’s going on between the two of you?” She asked with one eyebrow raised.

Before either of us could answer, Alaric rushed in. 

“Girls, you’re still here. Great.” He gestured to Lizzie to sit down. “Right. Well, I don’t know how to say this, but MG is now in ripper mode. Whatever dark Josie did to him has made him unable to control his hunger.”

“So, his humanity switch is off?” I asked. Alaric shook his head.

“No. Which is worse. If he gets out and kills someone, he will never be able to live with himself. We mustn’t let it get to that.”

“What can we do?” Lizzie asked.

“Right now, we are drying MG out and letting him desiccate until we find a permanent solution.”

I turned to Lizzie, who was looking down at her hands, crying slightly.

“I want to see him.” She said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I want to see him.” She said, a little more determined this time.

Alaric nodded and accompanied Lizzie to the cells. I turned my focus to Josie, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation. Her gaze fixed on the door, her shoulders lifted, she seemed tense. I moved closer to her; she didn’t react.

“Jo?” I asked, but she didn’t respond. I reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

“Don’t.” I looked at her, confused. “Don’t try to comfort me or tell me everything's going to be alright. I don’t deserve it. This is all my fault.” She said with a stern voice.

Before I could think of something to say, Josie got up and rushed out of the room. I followed her without hesitation, trying to find something to say, when I bumped into someone.

“Jade?”

“Hope…. Um … Have you seen Doctor Saltzman? I need to speak to him. It’s really important.” She asked nervously as she was skimming the crowd, probably looking for him.

“Try the transitioning cells.”

“Thanks.” And with a woosh, she left.

My focus turned back to Josie, who was nowhere to be seen. I sighed, then thought that I should leave her for a while to breathe. I’ll go talk to her later.

Reluctantly I turned my heels and walked to the library to look for a spell to help MG.

**Lizzie’s POV**

The room was dark, that’s the first thing I noticed as I walked down the last few steps. Dad was in front of me, leading the way. We walked along the empty cells and stopped in front of a black door. Dad opened it and stepped aside, so I could walk in. As I walked in, I felt a chill run down my spine. The sound of sobs caught my attention. My head spun in the direction of a sobbing MG. He sat as far as possible from the bars. He had his back against the wall with his knees pulled up to his chest, his head buried in his knees. My heart sunk at the sight of him.

“MG?” I whispered, walking up to the cell door, then crouched down.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He said, between his tears.

His voice was scratchy, low, barely recognisable.

“MG, you’re my friend. Of course I should be here. I’m going to help you.”

“Go.”

“MG…”

Suddenly, he was in front of me, breathing heavily. His eyes were black, his veins appeared around them and his fangs were out.

“I said go.”

I stumbled back. My dad caught me and pulled me away. He turned me around, checked if I was hurt and asked me if I was okay. I nodded, tears forming in my eyes. He pulled me into a hug. I turned my head to MG and saw his eyes shift back into his soft brown ones. He looked afraid and worried, but turned around and walked back to his corner.

“I think we should go.” Dad said as he broke the hug.

I nodded again, not able to talk. He pulled me into a side hug, and we walked out of the transitioning cells’ door. We had barely stepped foot into the hallway, when Jade appeared in front of us, stopping us in our tracks.

“Doctor Saltzman.” She let out a sigh of relief. “We need to talk.” She looked at me, then back at dad. “Alone.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait Jade.” He said, still holding onto me.

“No, it really can’t. It’s about Landon and Rafael.” She looked at me again, this time I saw tears in her eyes.

Something was wrong.

“It’s all right dad. I’ll be fine. Go do what you have to do.” I said, as I looked into his eyes.

I could see the gears turning in his head. His hold on me loosened. He kissed me on the top of my head and followed Jade down the hallway to his office.  
*  
“Jo?”

I walked into my bedroom. I wanted to crawl into bed and never leave. I didn’t understand why seeing MG that way had affected me so much. Sure, he’s my friend, but that’s it. Right? My goofy vampire friend, who always had a smile on his face and laughed at everything, always making me feel special.

I didn’t expect to see Josie on the floor of our bedroom, sitting crisscrossed, with a book on her lap and more sprawled around her. She briefly looked up at the sound of her name, then turned her attention back to her book. I took a few steps forward and picked up the closest one, skimming the pages.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“I’m looking for a way to help MG.” She said, still focused on the pages in front of her. “How is he, by the way?” She asked now looking directly at me.

“Oh, you know… not good.” The tears, I was holding back, broke free and I started crying in the middle of the room.

I heard the faint sound of a book closing and then Josie was by my side. She pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly.

“I… I don’t understand why I… I’m like this. Why d…does this hurt so much?”

“Because you love him.” Josie said, as I cried into her shoulder. “We will find a way to save him. I promise.”

“Girls, where’s Hope? There something you all need to hear and it’s better if Hope has some friends around when she learns the news.” Dad said, bursting into the room.

Josie broke the hug and took a few steps towards dad.

“What’s wrong?” Dad opened his mouth slightly, but no words came out.

“It’s best if you come now.”

Josie and I nodded and followed our dad out of the room. He raced to Hope’s room, Josie and I trailing behind. Once we were standing in front of her door, dad took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in.”

He opened the door and we shuffled inside. Hope was at her desk reading something. When she looked up and saw my dad, she immediately closed the hardback and pushed it underneath a stack of homework besides her. Dad took no notice. He gestured for us to sit on Hope’s bed and he pulled up the chair Hope was previously sitting on.

Once we were all settled, dad looked at each one of us in turn then stopped at Hope. Whatever he had to say wasn’t going to be easy to hear.

“Last night…” He stated. “Landon and Rafael were by the docks. They were talking about Rafael’s um… death. According to him, the necromancer killed him when he went back to Mystic Falls. He asked Landon to kill him. He didn’t want to live without free will, with the necromancer pulling his strings. Landon…” Hope reached for Josie’s hand for comfort at the sound of her ex-boyfriend’s name. “He refused. He was adamant to help Rafael, to save him but, the necromancer had other plans…” Dad looked at Hope, her eyes were tearing up. She was shaking her head. “Rafael stabbed Landon with the golden arrow. He hasn’t woken up. He’s dead.”

Dad’s words echoed in my head. Landon’s dead? How is that even possible?

Hope’s wailing snapped me out of my trance. Hope was in Josie’s arms, muttering no no no in between her sobs. Josie’s head was buried in Hope’s shoulder, crying as well. I came closer and threw my arms around them, trying my best to comfort them.

A few minutes later, Hope shot up without warning, making me and Josie fall backwards. She turned to dad; her eyes golden with a faint growl, she spoke.

“Where’s Rafael?”

“We believe he’s gone. Like the others before him.”

The answer didn’t calm Hope at all. It seemed to do the opposite. She growled once more before she ran out of her room.

**Shabinna’s POV**

“So, you’re telling me that the school I saw is a school for all supernatural beings? Werewolves, vampires and witches living under one roof?” I asked.

“Yes.” The Necromancer answered.

He was leaning against a stone table with his arms crossed. His little puppet, Chad I believe, stood in the corner quietly.

“What else should I know?”

“Ah ah ah. No answer is free. Tell me something about your little plan to get your revenge on Kol Mikaelson.”

“It’s pretty simple.” I replied with a smile. “And his niece is going to play a big part in it.” 

“No matter how alluring your plan seems. Nothing is simple when it comes to the tribrid. She’s a fighter, just like her parents.” The Necromancer said.

I scoffed slightly and rolled my eyes. She’s just a kid, how dangerous could she be? Sure, she’s a Mikaelson and they're strong but even a Mikaelson has weaknesses. As if he could read my mind, the Necromancer chimed in:

“However, the little stunt I pulled yesterday might help in capturing the young Mikaelson.” 

I looked at him perplexed. He took this as a sign to go on.

“I got my little puppet in the Salvatore School to kill her boyfriend for good.” The Necromancer said.

“You’re telling me, you have another one of those.” I said pointing to Chad. “At the school?”

“Yes.”

“Well this changes everything.”

“Wait until I tell you about an insufferable little witch called Josette Saltzman.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope’s POV**

I was lying on my bed, my nose stuck in another one of my aunt Freya’s grimoires. As time passed, it became harder and harder for me to read the pages in front of me . I turned my head to the clock on my bedside table: 2 am. I groaned. I hadn’t noticed the sun setting or the moon rising. As soon as my class had ended, I hurried to my room to look for a solution to MG’s ripper problem. I had spent the last two weeks going through all the grimoires and vampire books at my disposal, and nothing. I had found nothing to help MG. I needed some help. I needed to call Freya.

I closed the grimoire and lifted myself off the bed. I reached for my shoes and put them on. Once that was done, I pulled my desk chair back and crouched down. My hands glided over the floor until they found a small dent in the floorboard. I lifted it up to reveal a small hatch with a few grimoires that varied in size. Some were Freya’s, some Esther’s and some were mine. Delicately, I put the grimoire I was reading back in its place then put the floorboard and chair back in place. After that I left my room and headed to Doctor Saltzman’s office.

The office was empty, thankfully. I had no trouble slipping in and taking the school phone. They really should allow us to have our own phones, with all these monster attacks, it would be handy but _noo_. I shook my head and dialled Freya’s number.

“Hello?” A husky voice said.

“Aunt Freya?”

“Hope? What are you doing, calling me at … 1:30 in the morning?” She whisper-yelled.

“Uh… I need your help. Two weeks ago, Josie was overwhelmed with dark magic and she did something to MG. He’s a vampire and she enhanced his bloodlust or something. He’s a ripper aunt Freya. If he feeds, he can’t stop. He tried feeding off Kaleb when he woke up from the spell. Kaleb’s a vampire, he shouldn’t want to feed off another vampire…”

There was a silence on the other end of the call. Then I heard the faint sound of a bed spring and a door close.

“Does he still have his humanity switch on?” I nodded then remembered I was on the phone.

“Yes.”

“Okay, I imagine you went through all the grimoires at your disposal.” I hummed in response. “I’ll look into it tomorrow and call you as soon as I have found something. Now go to sleep, Hope.”

“Yes, Aunt Freya. Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I hung up and put the phone back on Doctor Saltzman’s desk. Once I was back in my room, I put a short sleeve top and a pair of shorts on, then fell face first on my bed. I pulled the covers up, buried my face in my cushions, and fell asleep in seconds.

*

The next day at lunch, I didn’t feel like eating in the cafeteria. If I’m being honest, I hadn’t felt like being around people since Landon’s death. It was easier that way. So, there I was, sitting alone in the grass peeling my second clementine, when I noticed Pedro walking towards the forest. I got curious. Pedro never went close to the forest; he feared it. I stood up and that’s when I noticed a woman. She seemed familiar. Pedro smiled when he walked closer to her. She held her arms out and they were soon in an embrace. As she pulled back, she whispered something in his ear. He nodded earnestly. She turned her attention to another boy who was standing a few feet away from them. He was twiddling his hands, shifting his weight from side to side. He seemed nervous. The familiar woman took a few steps towards him and smiled. He looked up and gave a sheepish smile back. Then she gave him something to drink and she started chanting. My eyes widened and I started running towards them. Before I could reach them however the woman had noticed me. She disappeared with the boy and Pedro was walking gleefully back to the school. I caught up with him and called his name.

“Pedro!” I reached for his arm and he turned around with a small frown.

“Hope? What’s wrong?”

“Who was that woman?” I asked. He seemed confused.

“What woman?”

“The one you were just with in the forest.” I pointed to the place where he was a few seconds ago. He followed with his eyes then turned around to face me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He shrugged and walked off.

Something’s not right. Why did that woman seem so familiar? I walked back to my little picnic area, racking my brain, trying to place this woman. I picked up the remainder of my lunch and put it in my backpack which I threw over my shoulder. I headed back to the school, I needed to find Doctor Saltzman.

*

“Ow. Watch where you’re going!”

I was so focused on finding Doctor Saltzman, I hadn’t even noticed bumping into his daughter. She turned around to see who had pushed her. Her anger quickly faded when she saw it was me.

“Lizzie? Lizzie!” My eyes widened in realisation. I had seen her before, with Lizzie, a few weeks ago. “Do you remember that woman who was lurking around the school gate a few days before … everything?”  
(Landon’s death is still a sore subject for me.)

“You mean the one who vanished as soon as you turned your back?”

I nodded.“Yes. Who is she?”

“I don’t know. She’s not an employee, I would know if we had a new one. She could be a visiting-parent?”

“If she was a parent then why was she lurking around the forest just now? She did a sort of spell on a kid and somehow Pedro is involved.”

“Pedro? Cute little innocent Pedro?”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t seem to remember anything.” I answered. “Do you know where your dad is?”

“Try his office or the library.”

I muttered a thank you and went to find Doctor Saltzman.

*

I walked into the library looking for Doctor Saltzman, but it was empty, not surprising since afternoon classes had started. So, I headed towards his office. I barged in and saw him with Dorian hovering over a grimoire.

“Hope! Shouldn’t you be in class?” Doctor Saltzman asked.

“Yeah, not my main priority right now.”

As I was talking about my lunch break, the school phone rang. Dorian, who was the nearest to the desk, answered.

“Hello? Oh yes, hello Ms. Mikaelson. Yes, she is here actually.”

I went to reach for the phone, but Alaric snatched it out of my hands before I could answer.

“Hello? Hmm I see. Let me put you on speaker phone.” He said glaring at me. “You’re one speaker phone. Now tell me, why are you calling the school phone?”

“Hope called. She said you needed help with a certain vampire problem.” Aunt Freya said.

“We’ve been managing fine on our own.”

“It’s been two weeks and we haven’t found anything. I’ve been through all the grimoires here. I haven’t found a thing that could help MG.” I said, annoyed that Doctor Saltzman wouldn’t even fathom the possibility of working with a Mikaelson, besides myself.

“Fine.” He grumbled as I rolled my eyes and sighed slightly.

“Anyway, I think I have found a spell that will help MG.”

“You’ve found a cure?” I beamed.

“Not exactly. There is no cure. This spell will just reduce the hunger he feels. He will be in more control, but it will still be stronger than what it was before.”

Doctor Saltzman nodded. It’s better than not doing anything and letting him desiccate.

“What’s the spell I have to do?” I asked.

“No, not you. Josie. She’s the one who cursed him, she’s the one who has to do the spell.”

“Is that a good idea? I mean I haven’t seen her do any magic since we got her back.” Dorian said nervously.

“She must.”

“I’ll talk to her.” I said.

“I don’t know Hope. You haven’t really been on speaking terms since Landon’s…”

“I’ll talk to her.” I repeated, cutting Doctor Saltzman off.

“Okay.” He said reluctantly. “Tomorrow. You and I will talk to her together.”

I nodded, there was no point arguing with him right now.

“Now go back to class.”

I rolled my eyes and headed out the door, but not before saying goodbye to my aunt. There was no way I was going back to class, not when someone was lurking around the school and wiping kid’s memories. At least that's what I thought I saw. So, I headed to my room and swapped out my backpack for another bag filled with clothes and snacks. Then I went to the old mill to wolf out and patrol the area.

**Josie’s POV**

It had been two weeks since dad announced to the school that Landon had died. He had cancelled all classes for the rest of the week to let us grieve. I hadn’t seen Hope since she stormed out of her room and went to look for Rafael, whom no one had seen since he had killed Landon.

Lizzie had been spending all her time down in the transitioning cells with MG. Trying to help him control his hunger with no prevail. She now slept down there. I would only see her when she would go and get some food and blood bags (without dad’s knowledge) from the kitchen for her and MG before she would disappear again. The few times I saw Lizzie she told me MG was refusing to feed, he wanted to desiccate. He was too scared to hurt anyone.

I, on the other hand, had been occupying myself with research. I had been trying to focus on other things rather than thinking about Landon, Hope, my nightmares of dark Josie, MG, and everything else that was wrong in my life.

The week after we had learned of Landon’s death, I had woken up sweating, unable to breathe, again. It was happening more regularly. So, I went for walks. It had become a nightly occurrence by then. That night however I wound up in dad’s office. It was empty, so I snuck in and opened the bottom left drawer of his desk. I took the whiskey bottle, opened it, and took a few gulps. After a while, I started to feel relaxed and a little dazed. I put the bottle back into its drawer and walked back to my empty bedroom. I fell on my bed and passed out. The next morning, I woke up with a small headache but relieved. Relieved I hadn’t woken up from another nightmare. This became a habit. I had bought a few bottles of vodka with a fake ID I had conjured up and stashed them in the old mill. Every morning, I would wake up with a headache but at least I didn’t have any dreams.

Tonight was no different. After curfew I snuck out of school and headed for the old mill. Once I arrived, I walked over to the sofa and siphoned the stack of books next to it. When I was finished, the books transformed into my bottles of vodka, a few of them already empty. I sat down on the uncomfortable sofa, that some werewolves bought one night for a party, and started a new bottle. That’s when I heard a growl. I turned my gaze to the door and saw a white wolf with golden eyes staring back at me.

“Hope?”

The wolf stepped closer, now inside, and walked over to a bag I hadn’t noticed next to the door. She picked it up with her mouth and walked away, out of view. A few moments later, I heard bones breaking, then Hope appeared fully dressed and sat next to me.

I was waiting for her to scold me, or something, for drinking. Instead she took the bottle from my hand and brought it to her lips. The alcohol must have gotten to me because I stared at her lips for far too long. She took a big gulp before handing the vodka back to me. She watched me as I drank, then stared at the wall in front of her. The bottle went back and forth between us, in silence.

“Jo?” She asked, now looking at me. “Why do you have a bottle of vodka stashed in the old mill?”

“It’s not the only one.” I said as I pointed to the rest on the floor. “It helps me sleep.”

“Why can’t you sleep?”

I looked at her, studying her face, looking for a trace of disgust or something similar. All I saw was curiosity.

“I still have the nightmares.” I said as I took another gulp of vodka.

“What about?”

“Dark Josie killing everyone I love… Including you. I wake up hyperventilating most of the time. She still gets to me. This.” I said, lifting the bottle high into the air, spilling some. “Stops her.”  
I felt Hope studying me. After a while, she snatched the bottle and drank the last few sips of vodka left. She threw the empty bottle on the floor and turned to face me completely. I tried avoiding her gaze by looking down at my fidgeting hands.

“You know you could have talked to me.”

“Yeah well it didn’t seem like it. When you’re not in class, you’re in your room. You haven’t said a word to me since Landon… And… You’re not the only one grieving Hope.” I looked up; my eyes filled with unshed tears.

“I’m here now.” She said, locking her eyes with mine.

Without looking away she reached for my hand and squeezed it in comfort. I turned slightly, my leg now resting on the sofa touching Hope’s. I looked down at our hands, playing with her fingers. We stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying the silence. As time passed my eyelids were getting heavier and a yawn slipped my lips. Hope pulled her hands away and stood up. As soon as she did, I missed her touch.  
“Come on, let me take you to bed.” She said as she reached her hand out for me to take.

I grabbed her hand and she pulled me up. We walked all the way back to school, hand in hand, in silence. Once we reached my dorm room, Hope let go of my hand, and I followed it whilst it fell to my side with my eyes. Then I looked up as I felt her hands rest on my upper arms.

“Jo, if you need someone to talk to don’t hesitate to come to me. You’ve been through so much; you can’t keep pushing everything down. You need to talk to someone. I’m here for you. I just need you to know I’m in your corner. I’ve always been in your corner.”

My heart was pounding ferociously by the end of her speech and before I knew it, I leaned in and kissed Hope Mikaelson. It took me a few seconds before I pulled back in a panic. Hope face said it all, she was not expecting that. I immediately regretted what I had just done.

“Um… Thanks for everything. Good night Hope.” I said before quickly entering my room and closing my door a little too hard.

I ran to my bed and threw the duvet on top of me. I buried my face in my pillow, mortified of what I had just done. How am I going to face Hope now?

**3rd person POV**

On the floor of the tunnel sat Rafael, his head in his hands, sobbing. Tears were falling on his jeans, still stained with Landon’s blood. Every time he looked down at his stained jumper and jeans, he was reminded of what he had done. Guilt and sadness overwhelmed him. He couldn’t go back to school. The thought of seeing his friends broke his heart. How could he face them? He knew he couldn’t control himself. He knew, and now his brother was dead.

All he wanted to do was die. He tried but whenever he did, a force stopped him. The Necromancer stopped him. Rafael knew that if he was not set free that meant the Necromancer still needed him. He dreaded whatever he would have to do next.

Raf had been hiding in the tunnels since that night, hoping he would be out of reach from the Necromancer. That was foolish however, the Necromancer knew exactly where he was. He was just waiting for the right time to use him. Luckily – or unluckily for him – that night was the night.

Rafael’s eyes rolled into the back of his head then his eyes closed. Once he opened them, it was no longer him in control but the Necromancer. He walked through the tunnels to the school. Once he reached the entrance, Raf checked to see if the coast was clear. Once he was sure the room was empty, he walked in. The room was cold and damp with a window that was the only source of light. Directly opposite the tunnel’s entrance was a door. Raf opened it and found himself in what looked to be an old hallway with a wooden door on the left and light at the other end of the hallway. He looked through the bars of the door and saw it was an old cell. Then he walked to the end of the hallway and found himself in front of two doors. One led to the wolf transitioning cells and the other to the main hallway of the school. He opened the door and walked in. There wasn’t anyone in the first few cells, so Rafael kept on walking. He opened the next door to the room that MG currently called home. Quietly he walked in and saw a sleeping Lizzie on a cot on the other side of the room. MG was lying on his cot, desiccated. Rafael opened the cell door with the key he had found. He picked MG up easily and walked out of the school, through the tunnels with the vampire in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, what did you think?


	6. Chapter 6

**Hope’s POV**

What - What just happened?

Josie just ran into her room after she kissed me. She kissed me! I stood in front of her door dumbfounded. My lips were still tingling from Josie’s touch. I grazed my lips with my fingers, feeling slightly flushed. After a while, I turned on my heels and walked back to my dorm.

As I was walking, I couldn’t help but wonder as to the reason behind that kiss. Why did she do it? What did it mean? Did she like me like that?– Of course not. Why would she? Her crush on me was years ago, could those feelings have really come back? – Snap out of it Hope! Of course not, because of me she had had her heart broken. She didn’t deserve that. She didn’t deserve to suffer, not by anyone’s hands. Especially not by mine.

Once I was in my room, I took a quick shower then crawled into bed, still thinking about Josie. She was drunk, that’s it. Her inhibitions were lowered, she probably thought that I was someone else. She was drunk – it meant nothing to her. My heart ached at that thought. Why? Why was this affecting me so much?

That night I could barely sleep. My mind was racing. By the time I drifted off to sleep, the sun was rising. I woke up in a daze to someone pounding on my door and yelling my name, I wasn’t impressed. Nevertheless I rolled out of bed and opened the door.

“What?” I snapped.

Lizzie barged in, frantically pacing up and down my room. I closed my door, eyeing her, and ran to her side. She stopped in front of me, shaking. Her eyes were red, her cheeks, wet from tears, and her breathing was rapid. She was on the verge of another episode.

“Lizzie, Lizzie breath. Deep breaths just like me. Yeah that’s it.” I said, gesturing for her to mimic my movements. After a few minutes, she had calmed down. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“MG… he wasn’t in his cell when I woke up this morning.” She said, worry laced in her voice.

“What? How is that possible? He’s desiccated! He can’t move!”

“I don’t know. All I know is that when I fell asleep, he was there, and when I woke up, he was gone.” Lizzie said, throwing her hands up in the air as she sat down on my bed.

“Have you talked to your dad?”

She shook her head. “No, I couldn’t find him.”

“Okay, I’ll come with you. We’ll look for him together and, on the way, we’ll get the Super squad.”

She let out a breath she was holding in and nodded. I hurriedly got dressed, throwing on blue jeans and a t-shirt before heading out with Lizzie.

**3rd Person POV**

Somewhere across town, in a dingy motel room was Rafael, Shabinna, Chad, The Necromancer and a newly awoken MG with blood dripping down his chin and onto the floor. Besides him were two bodies, two women with their heads ripped off. MG was breathing heavily, his eyes and veins black, and his fangs out. The bed he was sitting on, with ruffled sheets, was covered in his victims’ blood. A smirking Shabinna stood before him, kneeling as to look directly into his eyes. A sickening smile creeped up on her face as she did so.

“Perfect.” She said.

She stood back up and joined Rafael on the other bed. She sat besides him. He stayed quiet, horrified by what he had just witnessed. His friend - the one who used to always talk about comic books, defending his favourite character, iron man - had just killed two innocent humans. Not just killing them, no. Tearing through their necks as they squirmed under his grasp. The room had been filled with screams then suddenly nothing. The scene repeating itself in his mind, like a bad jingle, unable to focus on anything else.

“As for you.” Shabinna said, tracing Rafael’s jaw with her finger. “You will be of some use to us.”

The Necromancer cleared his throat, taking a step forward whilst doing so. Shabinna’s gaze turned to him, rolling her eyes slightly by his annoyed demeanour.

“I think you’ve forgotten our little agreement, little witch.” He said. Shabinna rolled her eyes again for the millionth time at the Necromancer.

“Believe me, this plan will benefit both of us. If executed properly. That means you hold your end of the bargain. I know how hard it is for you to manage a bunch of teenagers.” She said, standing up. She walked over to the door and opened it. “Come, we have lots to do.” She said, turning around and leaving.

In turn, everyone walked out of the room. Rafael was relieved to leave this room filled with death. The Necromancer and Chad followed; glee written all over The Necromancer’s face. MG was the last to leave, he stood for a few seconds looking around at what he had done. A wave of guilt and grief overwhelming him. He wanted to turn it off because he knew he could no longer go back to his old life. He had barely been gone a few hours and had already become the next Stefan Salvatore. No. worse. He was a monster.

**Hope’s POV**

I was in Alaric’s office with the super squad, or at least with what remained of it. As I looked around the room, I couldn’t help but notice those missing, those we had lost. Rafael, Landon and now MG.  
Kaleb stood near the door, impatiently. He looked angry and worried. MG was like his brother. His disappearance must have been taking a toll on him. Jade was sitting nonchalantly on the chair in front of the desk. Ever since I found out that she was there when Raf stabbed Landon, I couldn’t help but feel rage boil inside of me. So, I drifted my attention to the twins. They were on the sofa, Lizzie leaning on Josie. Her leg was shaking, and she was playing with her sister’s fingers, probably trying to calm herself down. She offered me a weak smile, when she caught me staring. I replicated the gesture, trying to reassure her slightly with the simplicity of a smile. Then my eyes locked with Josie’s. My heart swelled and my rage dissipated as I did. I smiled slightly but she looked away almost immediately. My heart fell. Maybe she doesn’t remember last night. Maybe she-

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Alaric walked back into his office, sliding his phone back into his blazer pocket. We were talking about MG’s sudden disappearance when Doctor Saltzman’s phone started to ring. He spent only a few minutes on the phone, but it felt longer.

“Who was it?” Jade asked, straightening herself up in her chair. I curled my hand up into a fist, maybe, trying to stop myself from hurtling towards her and beating the crap out of her.

“The sheriff. Two bodies were found in a nearby motel, drained of blood and their heads completely ripped off. It’s definitely a ripper’s M.O”

“Do you think it’s MG?” Lizzie asked, pleading with her eyes for the answer to be a firm no.

“It’s likely.” Doctor Saltzman said.

Lizzie nodded, looking back, down at her hands.

“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s go get him!” Kaleb said, clapping his hands together, ready to leave.

“Hold on, last time you were with him, he tried to eat you. We need a plan.” Doctor Saltzman said, sitting back down at his desk.

*

“There’s no way in hell we’re stabbing MG!” Kaleb yelled fifteen minutes later.

“It’s only as a last resort.” Alaric said calmly.

“You and the scooby doo gang didn’t kill Stefan when he was on his murderous rampage or Damon for that matter. MG’s no different.” Lizzie retorqued, standing firmly in front of her father’s desk, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Well what do you propose?”

**Josie’s POV**

“Josie, could you stay a bit longer?” Dad asked as everyone else was leaving.

“Sure dad.” I said, taking a seat opposite him.

Once the door closed, he spoke.

“So, we’ve found a spell – “

“That’s great!” I said thrilled.

He nodded with a small smile. “You have to be the one to perform it. It demands great power and a clear mind. If you do not have a clear mind, you will only worsen his case and maybe turn off his humanity.”  
“Why can’t Hope do it? She has more power than any of us.”

“But you’re the one you who cast the spell. According to my aunt, we have a higher chance of the spell succeeding if you’re the one who casts it.” Hope said, startling me.

I thought she had left with the others, but she was standing by the door. As she talked, she walked closer to the desk and sat down in the chair next to me. I could feel her gaze burning a hole into my head, but I couldn’t look up, ashamed from my drunken actions the night before.

“Exactly. We want to be sure that this will work. Hope will teach you the spell. Now go, I have some paperwork I have to tend to.” My dad said as he shooed us out of his office.

“The spell is in my room. We can go now, or I can give it to you later.”

“Now’s fine.” I said as we started to walk in the direction of Hope’s room.

Hope trailed behind with a little huff. Once we were in front of her room, she slid inside and walked over to her desk. She rummaged through a few papers before she muttered a “found it” and handed the spell to me.

“Thanks.” I said, looking down at the paper in my hand before turning around and leaving.

*

“Okay, so tell me what that was all about.” Lizzie said as soon as I walked into our dorm room.

“What what was about?” I asked, walking to my desk.

“Don’t play dumb, Jo. You barely looked at Hope today. Usually I would have to tear your eyes away from her. What happened?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I never – “

“And the look she made when you looked away from her. I mean there is obviously something going on I’m not aware of.” Lizzie said, her arms and legs crossed on her bed looking directly at me.

“What are you?” I shook my head. “I need to learn this spell, it’s the only way to get MG back.” I said, turning my back towards her as I started reading.

“Whatever you say.” I could feel the eyeroll Lizzie did before she left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya ! Sorry for not posting last week. Online school is crazy and I had writers block. I made the chapter longer to make up for it. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Lizzie’s POV**

_Two months later_

The next few months were unbearable. Hope was still reeling over Landon’s death. Josie had been avoiding her like the bubonic plague and we still hadn’t caught MG. Dad and Hope had been going on more and more trips, each one longer than the last. Each time with worse news. At first it was one or two bodies in some trashy motel rooms or in dark alleyways - how very cliché – but then the numbers went up. Five. Ten. Twenty. Twenty. MG ripped through an entire party filled with drunken teenagers in Oregon. After that trip dad had lost all hope on ever getting him back.

“He’s gone Lizzie! He’s no longer the boy you once knew!” He yelled at me one night in his office.

“No, he’s not! It’s that bloody curse! This isn’t him!” I said, matching his tone and anger.

Frustrated, dad sat down on the sofa and patted the spot next to him. I joined him, glaring at him. He reached for my hands and after a few minutes he spoke again, in a softer voice.

“Not anymore Lizzie… He’s changed. He can’t be saved” He whispered.

“This is all Josie’s fault!” I yelled, flailing my hands in the air. Who does he think he is deciding to kill MG the next time we cross paths with him? Huh? We had a spell! He’ll be fine after the spell! He’s not a lost cause. Fuming, I abruptly stood up and without another word, stormed out.

Once I’d flung the door open, I was surprised to see a teary-eyed Josie near the door. She had heard everything. I felt a pang of guilt before my rage built up once again. I stared at her for a split second before I huffed and walked away.

I kept on walking until I found myself in front of MG and Kaleb’s dorm room. I hadn’t been inside since he left. As I was turning on my heels to leave, the door opened. There stood a confused Kaleb leaning on the door.

“Lizzie? What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I, I … Can I come in?”

Kaleb stepped aside to let me in and closed the door behind me. Hesitantly I walked over to MG’s side of the room and sat on the bed. My hands traced the contours of the iron man print on his bedding. Dork, I said to myself as a tear fell down my cheek. I could sense Kaleb’s uneasiness with my presence. We had never really spent much time just the two of us, and certainly not when I was feeling vulnerable. He stood in the middle of his room, watching me.

“Are you… Do you want to talk about it?” He asked nervously, shifting from one foot to the other.

“No.” I said, shaking my head, my eyes still transfixed on the bedding.

The room fell silent as Kaleb got back into bed. Even without looking up, I could feel his uncertain gaze burning a hole in the side of my face.

“You can stay here tonight… if you want. I don’t think he’ll mind.” He said a few seconds later.

I simply nodded and crawled into the bed. As soon as my face hit the pillow, I was hit with the overwhelming smell of MG. I closed my eyes as I silently cried myself to sleep.

**Josie’s POV**

“He’s gone Lizzie! He’s no longer the boy you once knew!” I heard dad yell as I was walking down the hallway back from the library.

“No, he’s not! It’s that bloody curse! This isn’t him!” Lizzie yelled back.

Slowly I walked over to the door, placing an ear against it to hear better. I could hear some shuffling and dad mumble something. Then I heard my twin yell once again. She said something that had been haunting me since I got back: _This is all Josie’s fault!_ Nobody had said that out loud. At least not to my face, but everyone thought it. Everyone knew it. It was the truth. There was no point denying it. I had been the one to curse him, dark Josie or not. I was the responsible one. All the blood he spilt was on my hands. All the pain he had caused was on me. This was all my fault and I couldn’t find a way to fix it. Tears started to fill my eyes as I was engulfed with waves of guilt, sadness, and anger.

Suddenly the door flung open making me stumble back. When I looked up, I saw Lizzie, eyes filled with unshed tears. All I wanted to do was give her a hug and tell her everything was okay. It was of no use. I had heard what she had said, I knew she meant it. My being here just hurts her even more. After the initial shock of seeing me, her expression turned to one of anger. She huffed and stormed off. I followed her with my eyes until she turned the corner. Once she was out of sight, I crumbled to the floor crying.

“Lizzie that’s not true!” Dad yelled, running after her. He stopped when he saw me in a ball on the floor. “Oh Josie.”

He bent down, reaching for my hand, and pulled me up. Before I knew it, I was in his arms, sobbing on his shoulder. After a few minutes, my breathing steadied, and my dad pulled away slightly. He looked at me with a hint of pity in his eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

I shook my head and stepped back. I couldn’t handle him taking pity on me. Everyone else looked at me with fear or avoided me all together. It hurt but I deserved it. I don’t deserve to be pitied. I don’t deserve any kind of sympathy or kindness, not even from my dad. 

“No, I’m going to go to bed. Goodnight dad.” And with that I walked down the hallway Lizzie had taken moments before.

Instead of turning right to head to the dormitories, I kept on walking. Soon enough I found myself back at the old mill. Surely Lizzie didn’t want to see me when she woke up tomorrow morning. I couldn’t go and see Hope, I hadn’t spoken to her since I kissed her. MG was gone. I had no one.

I retrieved one of my vodka bottles and threw myself on the sofa. _This place is as good as any to sleep_ , I thought to myself before as I started drinking.

Halfway down my second bottle, I heard a small growl from the door. A white wolf emerged and stared at me. Hope. She took her bag in her mouth and walked back outside. Moments later she walked back in wearing a Salvatore issued jumper and skirt. Her hair was bouncing off her shoulders and she had little specks of dirt on her nose. She looked beautiful.

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” She said chuckling as she sat down beside me.

This was the first time we had spoken in the last two months. Whenever I saw her in the hallways I would always turn around or hide in an empty classroom. At lunch I would eat with Lizzie and Kaleb. They were the only ones who would tolerate me these days. Especially since word of my cursing MG making him go on a murderous rampage got out. So, sitting here, with Hope as if nothing happened was… weird.

“Yeah.” I replied half-heartedly.

Hope frowned slightly at my response.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing.” I lied, playing with the bottle before bringing it to my lips.

Before I could take a sip, however, Hope snatched the bottle out of my hands and threw it on the floor letting the contents spill on the wooden panels.

“Hey!”

“You’ve had enough.” She said sternly. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”

Tell her what’s wrong. Right. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. What wasn’t wrong?

“Josie.” She pleaded as she reached for my hand. “What is it?”

Her gaze seemed piercing. Her blue eyes staring right back into mine. It seemed like she genuinely cared. Why would she though? Why would anyone? I did not deserve it. And why her? The queen of self-loathing and shutting people out wanted me to open? I scoffed once again at the irony.

“Josie, talk to me.” She said in a soft voice, squeezing my hand to get my attention.

“You know what Hope?” I asked – no, practically shouted at her. “You don’t get to hide out in your room for a decade, poking any chance you got and refusing any attempts to become friends to suddenly what? Talk to you? Confide in you? You should understand better than anyone else what I’m feeling. You’re not the only one who can shut people out, you know.”

I yanked my hand away from her grip and stood up. My chest was heaving. All my frustration and anger towards Clarke for using me to make a dark object; towards my dad for wanting to kill MG instead of saving him; towards Hope for not saying who she was, that she was back and letting me fall for her boyfriend only to be heartbroken again; and towards myself for everything I did since the start of the school year had reached boiling point. Everything was overwhelming me. It felt like a storm was brewing inside of me. Rage overflowing my senses. Without noticing I started siphoning the floor of the old mill. The ecstatic feeling of magic circulating in my veins brought me over the edge. Before I knew it a wave of magic left me as I screamed. As it did, I closed my eyes, concentrating on the amazing feeling of relief I felt as soon as I let it all out. Every bit of negative energy.

A few minutes passed and my eyes were still closed as I stood there, catching my breath when I heard a faint groan. I opened my eyes and looked around the room for the tribrid. She was no longer sitting on the sofa in front of me because the sofa was in shreds at my feet. I looked around and saw that I had destroyed the old mill. Everything was broken, the stairs were on the other side of the room and when I looked up, I saw that the roof was no longer there. Then I heard another groan. I whipped my head to the source and saw a semi-conscious Hope on the floor, buried under what remained of the stairs. Saying her name, I ran up to her. Her eyelids were struggling to stay open.

“Hope? Can you hear me?” I asked worried.

“Ye…yes.” She said, trying to sit up. She winced slightly and looked down at her abdomen. Following her line of sight, I noticed a large chunk of wood lodged in her stomach. A sudden flashback to a nightmare I had a few weeks back popped into my head. Hope choking on her own blood then screaming in pain whilst instantly combusting. I shook the thought out of my head, returning my focus to the current situation.  
“Josie?” She croaked. “Could you... pull it out, please.”

With a slight nod and a small smile, I obliged. Gripping the foreign object, I pulled with all my might. Slightly gagging at the squishing sound as I was pulling it out. Dropping the chunk of wood on the floor, I watched as the gash healed right before my eyes.

“Thanks.” Hope said as she propped herself on her forearms. “I owe you one.”

She sat up and threw the remainder of the broken stairs off her legs. Then she stood up, wiping the dust off her legs before extending a hand to help me up.

“Wow Josie, you sure did make a mess.” She whistled whilst looking at what remained of the old mill.

“Yeah… How am I going to explain this to my dad?” I asked nervously, glancing at the ruins once again.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you fix it. Your dad will never know.” She said, smirking.

“Why?” I asked, furrowing my brow.

“Why what?”

“Why would you want to help me?” She chuckled slightly at my question.

“Because I happen to care for you Josie.” She said, bumping my arm with hers, chuckling. “Okay let’s get started.”

Hope walked to the centre of the room then turned to face me. With her Mikaelson smirk and a glimmer in her eyes, she lifted her hand up golden magic sparkling at her fingertips. She reached her other hand for me to take. Once I joined her, she muttered a spell and the golden sparks spread across the room. When I joined in, the walls, the staircase, the roof, and every other broken object was put back together.

“Wow.” I said, once the spell was complete. Hope chuckled for the third time that night, the sound making my heart flutter. “I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” She asked, turning her attention to me.

“How powerful you are. I mean I knew you were powerful but what we just did was probably barely a fraction of what you’re capable of doing. And yet it would take an entire witch coven to do it.”

Hope shrugged. “Come on, let’s go.” She said as she started walking out, pulling me behind her by our connected hands.

The walk back to the school was in a comfortable silence. Once we reached my dorm room Hope let go of my hand, making me miss the contact.

“Well this is you.” She said, staring at me.

“This is me.” I said, not breaking eye contact, getting lost in her eyes. But then she coughs, snapping me out of my trance.

“Well then… good night Josie.” She said with a sweet smile.

“Good night Hope.” I replied, smiling back shyly.

I fumbled with the door handle before opening the door. Quietly I threw some pyjamas on and jumped into bed. Drifting off to sleep seconds after my head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo what did you guys thinks? :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! Okay so this chapter is more of a filler but you kinda need to read it to understand the rest. There's a part of it that's basically the same scene as the last chapter just in Hope's point of view. It needed to be done so yeah, enjoy

**Hope’s POV**

Two months. Two months of traveling across the country, covering up the blood baths MG left behind. Two months of Josie dodging me even though she’s the one who kissed me. Two months of grieving Landon…   
Landon’s death was still a sore subject. True. Was I sad? Yes. Did I cry myself to sleep? Multiple times. Had I spent every waking second trying to catch the monster who killed him? You best believe it. However, the constant road trips had made that mission near impossible. 

The first time I saw what MG did, was the day he went missing. Doctor Saltzman and I drove to the motel and saw the scene for ourselves. Two bodies. Both women. Both with their heads ripped off. Bodies drained of blood. They laid there on the floor, with terrified expressions plastered on their faces. What did MG do? I was having a hard time believing MG was capable of this. We knew he was dangerous, that’s why we had locked him up. We didn’t know how he got out. He had help, that’s all we knew for sure. But who? Who could drag a cursed vampire out of his cell without anyone noticing or without them being ripped apart themselves? 

The next few days we had two more sightings, the same MO as before. But after a week the numbers grew. The scenes were bloodier. It was as if he embraced his hunger, as if he enjoyed it. If that was the case, we needed to get him back, fast. The worst one yet was in Oregon. MG had slaughtered everyone at a beach party. Twenty late teens, all with their head ripped off. However, by this point MG had his own calling card. The corpses would look like people were doing something, but their heads wouldn’t match their bodies. That time, he had made it seem like the twenty teens were playing spin the bottle. They were all in a circle in the living room, an empty wine bottle in the middle. The floor and walls were stained with blood splatter. I wanted to throw up at the scene in front of me. Doctor Saltzman and I walked in carefully. Examining the room before we would light it on fire, hiding this atrocity. 

As I looked around, one of the heads fell and rolled over to my foot. I looked down to see the whites of the eyes staring at me. Shivering, I forced my gaze to go anywhere else. That’s when I saw it.

“Uh… Doctor Saltzman?” I asked, audibly gulping at the sight in front of me. 

“What is it?” He asked from the kitchen.

“You might want to take a look at this.” Seconds later I heard Doctor Saltzman walking over then halting once he saw what I was referencing. 

On the once white wall was some writing. It was dark brown, nearly black, and smelt like iron, it was blood. Doctor S cleared his throat then read the message.

_Stop following me, or your daughters are next._

Ever since that day there had not been any more incidents. At least none that we had heard off. We didn’t go on any other road trips, except for the odd recruitment missions here and there. MG seemed to have gone underground. That knowledge didn’t calm me. I was on edge, constantly waiting for the next attack. The lack of monsters didn’t help. Ever since Landon’s death there hadn’t been any. Maybe now Malivore will forever be stuck as he is, a pit. 

With my constant worrying I had the need to shift more frequently. It appeased my mind and let me watch over the school, just in case. Then one night, on one of my late strolls, I saw some light coming from the old mill. Walking closer to it, I heard a heartbeat and smelt something familiar. As I approached, I recognised the figure sitting on the sofa. Josie. Growling a little, to make my presence known, I walked in. 

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” I said, chuckling, trying to lighten the mood a bit. This is the first time we’ve properly spoken in weeks. Hesitantly, I joined her on the sofa.

“Yeah.” She said unenthusiastically.

“What’s wrong?” I asked frowning. Josie had seemed down since the mind jump and since she wouldn’t talk to me, I couldn’t help her. It’s not like I didn’t try. Whenever I saw her, I would try to walk up to her and talk to her, but she would walk – or more accurately – run away. 

“Nothing.” She said but I could tell it was a lie. She was playing with the bottle then brought it up to her lips to take another sip. Before she could I took it and threw it on the floor. This was the second time I had caught her doing this. I was pretty sure those two weren’t a rare occurrence. 

“Hey!” She shrieked, looking between my hand and the bottle of vodka currently emptying itself on the wooden panels.

“You’ve had enough.” I said in my best ‘mum’ voice possible. “Now tell me what’s wrong.” She didn’t reply, she just scoffed. “Josie.” I pleaded, reaching for her hand. “What is it?” 

“You know what Hope?” She yelled. “You don’t get to hide out in your room for a decade, poking any chance you got and refusing any attempts to becoming friends to suddenly what? Talk to you? Confide in you? You should understand better than anyone else what I’m feeling. You’re not the only one who can shut people out, you know.” 

Suddenly Josie was on her feet, heaving. The old mill started to tremble. I stood up, trying to get Josie to calm down. I placed my hands on her arms, but the room started shaking violently. Lamps and chairs fell, the walls were cracking, and the roof was rocking from left to right. I looked back at Josie whose eyes were shut. 

“Josie.” I said but was propelled into something hard on the other side of the room by a wave of magic. Everything went dark.

The next thing I remember was Josie calling me from somewhere nearby. Reluctantly I opened my eyes and saw a panicked Josie by my side. 

“Hope? Can you hear me?” She asked scanning my face for any possible wounds.

“Ye…yes.” I said, trying to sit up. Bad move. I looked down and saw a big chunk of wood lodged in my abdomen. 

“Josie? Could you... pull it out, please.” I asked, trying to hide the pain I was currently feeling.

She nodded then grabbed the foreign object and proceeded to pull it out. Moments later it was out, and my body started to heal on its own. 

“Thanks.” I said as I propped myself on my forearms. “I owe you one.” 

Once I stood up, and helped Josie up, I looked at the damage she had caused. If I didn’t know better, I would have guested an earthquake hit this place or something. I wondered if they noticed anything at the school. Probably not. We were deep in the woods, and nobody would be out this late anyways. 

After we magically restored the old mill we walked up to the school, hand in hand. Josie didn’t seem to mind or maybe she hadn’t noticed. I accompanied her to her bedroom door before going to mine to take a shower. I was covered in dirt from my run and of specks of dust and blood. 

“Well this is you.” I said, staring into her mesmerising brown eyes.

“This is me.” She repeated with a small smile making my heart flutter.

I didn’t want to go. I wanted to stay with her. The idea of asking her to stay with me tonight went through my mind but I couldn’t think of an excuse as to why she should. So, instead I said goodnight.  
“Good night Hope.” And like that she walked inside her room once again. 

I walked back to my room, took a shower, and climbed into bed. Before I drifted off to sleep however, I said something that I hadn’t been able to say out loud until that night.

“I have a crush on Josie Saltzman.”

**3rd person POV**

Pedro was heading back to his room from the kitchen when he heard footsteps coming from the hallway behind him. Quickly he ran into an empty classroom and watched as two girls walked past him. His curiosity peeked when he recognised the two girls in question: Hope Mikaelson and Josie Saltzman. What were they doing out together? Quietly, Pedro opened the door and followed them. Then the girls stopped to what he assumed to be the twins’ room. Pedro halted before the turn, so he couldn’t be seen. Carefully he peeked his head out to see what was going on. Hope and Josie were staring at each other for a long time. Even though Pedro was a kid, he was not stupid. He knows what this means and his friend Shabinna would love to hear about it. He walked back skipping as he knew he was going to get praised for revealing this information to her. Hope and Josie are dating.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #BlackLivesMatters  
> Please go sign the petition, call elected officials, talk to the people around you.  
> George Floyd is not the first person who is a victim of racism but he should be the last. The ones responsible need to be imprisoned for what they have done. A gun, a badge and being white shouldn't justify murder. Because that's what it is, murder. Plain and simple, there is no other way to call it. I'll put the link to the petition at the end. You do not have to live in America to sign. Because you don't have to be an american to know that this was wrong.

**3rd person POV**

Kol and Davina were walking peacefully hand in hand enjoying their walk in a little town in the south of France. The smell of butter overwhelmed their senses as they walked in the little corner bakery. A few minutes later, they walked out with a bag filled with chocolate eclairs. Hand in hand, they continued their walk back to their house.

As they were turning a corner, Davina dropped down yelling in pain. Her hands cupping her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. Kol instantly kneeled to her side placing his hands on hers, trying to get a glimpse of her face.

“Davina!? Davina!? What’s wrong?”

Davina, with all her strength looked up and blood was oozing out of all her orifices. Her skin was pale and her breathing irregular. kol looked up, noticing the crowd, which had amassed around them. Most had shocked or appalled looks on their faces. Soon enough, he noticed a retreating form. He was about to stand up and follow it but was stopped by a thrashing Davina.

“Kol” She whimpered.

His gaze immediately went back to his wife. Her heartbeat was slowing down. If he didn’t do anything soon, she would die. With that frightening thought, he picked Davina up bridal style and pushed through the crowd. When they were away from prying eyes, Kol vamp sped to their modest apartment with a sea-view.

Once inside, Kol laid an unconscious Davina gently on their king-sized bed. Hovering over her, Kol concentrated on her heartbeat. Gradually it got stronger and steadied. He let out a breath he had been holding since she collapsed on the cold street floor and walked to the bathroom. He wet a cloth with warm water and walked back to tend to his wife.

Carefully, he wiped the blood off her face and neck. Brushing her bloodied strands of hair away from her face. He then proceeded to take off her blood-stained top, wiping the odd blood drops off her chest. Once she was clean, Kol walked over to the dresser and pulled out his grey shirt Davina loved so much and comfortable shorts. Delicately he dressed his wife then tucked her in bed. He crawled in right next to her, wrapping an arm around her whilst placing a soft kiss at the top of her head.

Laying on his back, Kol replayed the events leading to Davina’s collapse. He remembered the look on the crowd’s face, they couldn’t have done it. Then he remembered that woman not fazed at all by the event that had taken place. But who was she? She must be a witch, but why would she attack another witch? It was then that Kol had made his decision. He turned his gaze to his sleeping wife, kissed her temple then whispered It’s time to go home, love. 

**Hope’s POV**

_Explain the history of the hybrid curse, how it came to be and how it was broken. (1000 words)_

As I was writing down my answer to my history of magic test, the teacher walked up to me and handed me a note.

“You’ve been summoned to the headmaster’s office.” Mr. Wilson whispered. “Gather up all your things. He says it’s important.”

Hurriedly, I threw my pencil case in my bag along with my notepad and exited the room as quietly as possible, leaving behind my unfinished essay on the desk. I practically jogged to Doctor Saltzman’s office thinking there was a new monster attack or that there was a new MG sighting. What I didn’t expect, however, was my aunt Freya in the office, sitting on the chair opposite Alaric.

“Aunt Freya?” I asked all giddy when I saw her.

“Hope!” She said standing up with a smile.

“Are you really here or are you just astral projecting?” I asked, taking a step back. The idea of her not really being here sobering me up.

“Why don’t you give me a hug and see for yourself.” She replied as she opened up her arms.

I felt like a young schoolgirl as I dropped my bag and ran up to her, melting in her embrace. It felt so good to be around family. I really did miss them. After one final squeeze, I broke the hug.

“Not to sound like a downer or anything but you suddenly showing up in Mystic Falls has never been a good sign. What is it this time?” I asked.

“Couldn’t I just come and surprise my niece at school?” Aunt Freya chuckled lightly.

“You can, but you don’t. So, what’s wrong?”

To this Freya frowned and studied my eyes before sighing.

“Davina was attacked in broad daylight in France two days ago.”

“She what? Well is she okay? What happened? Was Kol there? Where are they now? Did you find who did it? Why was she attacked?” I started pacing around the room. My mind was all over the place. Who would want to hurt Davina? She had been nothing but helpful these past few years.

“She’s fine, for now at least. Kol was there. They were out in the street when Davina crumbled to the floor, screaming in pain. She passed out and Kol took her back to their apartment. They are on their way to New Orleans as we speak. As for the other questions, we do not know. To our knowledge, Davina has no enemies, none alive at least.”

“So, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in New Orleans waiting for their arrival?”

“Well we thought you might want to join us. Rebecca and Marcel are flying in as well. It’s going to be a proper Mikaelson reunion.” Aunt Freya said gleefully, which made me snort.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t be a Mikaelson reunion without plotting someone’s revenge around the dinner table.”

“Exactly! So, what are you waiting for? Go on and pack your bags. I’ll wait for you in the car.”

I suddenly turned my attention to a worried Doctor Saltzman. He hadn’t said anything since I walked through the doors. He must have moved during my interaction with Aunt Freya because he was now standing against his desk, watching us intently. Suddenly I remembered everything that was going on here. I couldn’t leave. Doctor Saltzman needed me. The school needed me. Josie… Josie needed me. Or did I need her? Whichever way it was I wasn’t just going to leave her.

Shaking my head, I looked at my Aunt who looked eager to take me back to home and see the family. “I can’t.” I mumbled under my breath.

“I’m sorry, what?” She asked with a hint of confusion and disappointment in her voice.

After a slight cough I spoke again. “I can’t leave the school. There’s too much going on for me to just leave it. What would happen if MG suddenly appears? Who would protect the students? No, I simply can’t leave them unprotected.”

I looked back to Doctor Saltzman who wore a proud smile on his face. My gaze shifted to my aunt when she started to talk once again.

“You really are your father’s daughter. Loyal to a fault.” She said proudly. “What if we move our little reunion to Mystic Falls? Davina surely needs a hug from you right now and Rebecca would be mad if I came back without you.”

“Um…” My gaze kept shifting between Doctor Saltzman and Aunt Freya. Alaric wasn’t a big fan of the Mikaelsons so having them all at school probably wasn’t the best idea. He must have seen my hesitation because he started to speak.

“As long as they promise to behave, they are … um … welcome to stay here.” He said, nearly choking on his own words.

“I’ll go make a few phone calls.” And with that, Aunt Freya left the office.

Once she was out of the room, closing the door behind her, I turned to face Doctor Saltzman.

“Are you sure? I mean you don’t have the best track record with the members of my family.”

“I’m not going to lie. Having your entire family here will not be easy, but you deserve some time with them. And you’re right… as much as it pains me to say this since you’re a student and I vowed to protect all my students… we need you to stay and protect this school. You have become a vital part of the school’s defences and…”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll expect to get a paycheck.” I joked.

“Maybe after you graduate.” He chuckled lightly.

“Did you just offer me a job?” I asked, slightly astonished.

“We’ll see.”

“Okay so they will be here sometime tomorrow.” Aunt Freya said, twiddling her phone in her hand as she walked back into the office.

“Well that settles that. Hope go back to class.” Doctor Saltzman said.

“But they’re in the middle of a test!” I protested.

“And I expect you to ace it. Which class is it?”

“A history of magic.”

“Ah… well yes. You …” He rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

“Wait, you still take that class?” Aunt Freya chuckled. “You literally lived with the people you study in that class. You might as well teach a dog how to bark.” Doctor Saltzman’s cheeks reddened with embarrassment.  
“Yes… well just this once, Hope you are excused from class. But I expect you to go to your afternoon lessons.”

For the next two hours Aunt Freya and I were in my room. I was sprawled out on my bed whilst my aunt sat near my head. We were catching up when I heard shuffling in the corridor indicating classes were over.

“Hey, do you want to head down to the cafeteria and grab something to eat?” Aunt Freya asked looking down at me.

“I could eat.” I replied with a shrug, hopping off the bed.

As I was tying my shoes up, Aunt Freya reached for the door handle and swung the door open.

“Oh. Hi. Josie, right?” She asked.

“Oh. Uh… yeah.” Josie said in a timid voice making me smile. “Is Hope here?”

“Yes.” Aunt Freya said, turning her head to me.

Josie’s gaze must have followed hers because she soon blurted out. “Oh, hi Hope. I didn’t see you in class so I thought I would hand you my notes and see if you wanted to grab lunch together. Although I think you might be busy… So, yeah. Here are the notes, and I guess I’ll see you around.”

She handed me the notes once I reached the threshold and turned around to leave. Before she could however, I grabbed her wrist, which caused her to turn around, and smiled.

“Thank you, Josie. You can eat with us. I’m sure Aunt Freya wouldn’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Aunt Freya said when I looked at her, my eyebrow raised. “It’s not everyday I get to meet one of Hope’s friends. Especially ones who knock me out.”

“Wait what?” I asked shocked.

“Yeah… Sorry about that.” Josie said, looking down at her feet. Shuffling them from one side to the other.

“You brought my memories back, there’s nothing to be sorry for. I should be thanking you instead.”

Josie looked up with a small smile on her face at Aunt Freya’s words.

“Thanks.”

“I need somebody to fill me in here. What happened?” I asked, making both women in front of me laugh. It was the first time I had heard Josie laugh sincerely in months. Her laugh sounded like music to my ears.

**Josie’s POV**

It felt good to joke around and laugh. I missed this feeling. The feeling of floating in the air , of being in a bubble of happiness. Not having to worry about all the bad things going on in my life, even if it was just for a little while.

That lunchbreak was the best one I had had since I was back to myself. Who would have thought that I would be joking around with the Freya Mikaelson? Throughout lunch students would be staring at us, well mostly at Freya. It’s not everyday you see the most powerful witch eating cafeteria food and laughing at one of Hope’s childhood endeavours. Hope on the other hand was burying her face in her hands blushing from embarrassment. From time to time, Hope would try and shush her aunt who would ignore her and keep on telling the story.

“Oh, come on Hope, it’s only going to get worse when Rebecca and Kol get here.” Freya said between laughs making Hope groan.

“Wait, your aunt and uncle are coming over? When?” I asked, surprised more of the Hope’s family was visiting.

“Sometime tomorrow. We’re having a Mikaelson reunion. You should join us; they’re going to love you. You’ve already won over one Mikaelson.” Freya said.

“Oh. Um… That’s really nice of you but wouldn’t you want to spend time together as a family? I mean I wouldn’t want to int…”

The bell signalling the end of the lunch break rang, putting an end to the conversation. Freya was the first to stand up. Before she walked away, however ,she looked directly at me and said “Come. It’ll be fun. Besides, don’t you want to hear more embarrassing stories of Hope?” then winked.

Once my therapy session was over, I walked back to my room, my bag slightly bouncing off my back with every stride. As soon as the door to my room shut, I fell on my bed and closed my eyes. Slowly I drifted off to sleep.

Besides lunch, I had had a bad day. Well bad was my new normal to be honest. I hated always walking into a room and all the hushed conversations dying down. I hated the scared looks I got from the kids and the dirty glares from the older students. Every move I made was scrutinized. Therapy didn’t help either. Dad had asked Emma to have daily sessions with me until they thought I was better. But what is better? Does better mean acting like old Josie? Did I even want to do that? I’m not even sure I was still like that. I didn’t want to live in the shadows anymore. I didn’t want to merge with my sister or kill for fun either. I was different. I could feel it. But the fear and hatred that seemed to follow me through the halls made me doubt myself. Could I change? Would change just make everyone fear me or hate me more?

A small knock on the door woke me up from my nap. I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes. With a small yawn, I walked over to the door and opened it. To my surprise, Hope stood behind it with a tray full of food.

“Hey Jo. I didn’t see you at dinner, so I got you something to eat.” She said with a sheepish smile.

I moved aside to let her in my room and closed the door behind her. With another yawn, I walked to my bed and sat down, patting the spot next to me for her to join me.

“Sorry for waking you. I didn’t mean to; it’s just you weren’t at dinner and I was starting to worry. I mean you don- “

“Hope.” I said, cutting her off. “You’re rambling.”

“Oh. Sorry.” She said,looking down at her dangling feet. She really was short. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

With a small smile, I patted her hand then reached for the tray that she had put behind us.

“Thanks for dinner. I would have had to sneak in the kitchen and reheat the leftovers if you hadn’t stopped by.”

“My pleasure.” Hope said as she stood up. “I’m going to go back to my dorm. Aunt Freya is waiting for me. We’re going to watch the greatest showman.”

“Oh… okay. Well th-thanks for the food. See you?” Hope nodded then turned on her heels. Before she reached for the handle however, she turned to me and said, “If you want, you can join us.”

The mere thought of spending a movie night with Hope made my heart flutter but I had already intruded on Hope’s family time once today. I didn’t want to be a bother.

As if Hope could read my mind she added, “Come. Aunt Freya would love to talk to you more. And they’ll be snacks.”

“You should have said that in the first place!” I said as she mentioned the snacks. “I’ll be there in say thirty minutes. I need to finish eating and change.” With a small smile and nod, Hope left my room.

**Hope’s POV**

As soon as I opened the door to my room, Aunt Freya, who was currently setting up the mini projector, looked up and smirked.

“How’s Josie?” She asked.

“Why did you say it like that?” I questioned, as I walked over to my bed.

“Like what?” She joked.

“Like you were insinuating something more was going on. I told you, I just wanted to make sure she ate something. She’s been struggling since the dark magic fiasco.”

“If you say so. What’s she doing tonight?”

“She’s coming over to watch the film with us.” I said, a red tint appearing on my cheeks.

Aunt Freya hummed in response with a knowing smirk creeping on her face. Rolling my eyes, I hopped off my bed and walked to my wardrobe. I pulled out a tank top and comfy shorts and walked into my bathroom. There was a faint knock on the door as I walked out, tying my hair up in a ponytail.

“Hiya.” I said as I opened the door.

“Hi.” Josie responded.

I took this time to admire her. Josie wore a white t-shirt and black comfy shorts that showed off her amazing legs. A slight cough from behind me snapped me out of my mind. For the third time that night, I felt my cheeks heat up.

“Oh um… yes… come in.” I said, looking anywhere but at Josie.

“I brought some drinks.” She said. Only then did I notice the three cans of coke in her arms.

“Let me take those and you can settle in.” Aunt Freya said, reaching for the drinks.

Once Josie’s hands were empty, she looked around my room. “Where can I sit?” She asked.

“On the bed.” Aunt Freya said nonchalantly.

Hesitantly, Josie slipped off her slippers and crawled to the furthest side of the bed. Soon Aunt Freya and I joined her. I was in the middle, this made Freya smirk.

Twenty minutes into the film I noticed Josie started to shiver. I reached for the blanket at the end of my bed and threw it over her. She smiled at the gesture. Once I was settled, she moved closer to me and threw some of the blanket over me.

About thirty minutes later, I heard soft snores coming from Josie. Instinctively, I pulled her closer, so her face was now in the crook of my neck. Josie then threw one of her arms around my waist and entangled our legs.

“You two are cute together.” Aunt Freya said, startling me. I had completely forgotten she was there. I was too entranced by the girl next to me.

I responded with a small smile then turned my attention back to the film. The last thing I noticed was the smell of cinnamon and fresh autumn breeze before drifting off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please sign:  
> https://www.justiceforbigfloyd.com/#petition  
> http://chng.it/NfNZf4n2Qx


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I hope you like this one

**Hope’s POV**

“Well, this class seems boring.” A familiar voice said at the threshold of my spells class which made the teacher scoff.

I turned my head to the door and saw my auntie Bex leaning against the casing. She had her arms crossed, her blond hair resting on her shoulders, hiding a smirk. She looked around the room until her gaze landed on me.

“Are you going to make your aunt wait or are you going to join me?”

Without even looking at the teacher, I threw my pencil case and books into my bag and left the class. Before my foot left the door, I turned around and saw Josie smiling at me, waving me off. I smiled back then followed my aunt.

“Mind telling me who that was?” She asked as I caught up to her. I might be fast, but I still have short legs.

“Oh, come off it. I know full well Freya has spoken to you. Probably something completely wrong as well.” I chuckled slightly.

“Depends. Did you or did you not cuddle together while watching a film last night?”

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned my head away from auntie Bex, trying to hide the blush creeping up onto my cheeks. She stopped too, an amused look on her face, her eyebrows lifted knowingly.

“We – we just fell asleep. Doesn’t mean anything.” I murmured.

“Mhmm, well you looked cute together.” She said nonchalantly walking towards Doctor Saltzman’s office and opening the doors.

“Wait what do you mean by that?” I asked rushing to reach her.

My question didn’t receive an answer because I was ambushed by hugs and hellos from the rest of my family. Marcel was the first to sweep me up in a bear hug.

“How are you doing kiddo?” He asked as he put me down.

“Good, great.” I said before I went to give a hug to Keelin and my baby cousin Nik. Then I went to Kol who engulfed me in a hug. Then I went to Davina and embraced her also, a little longer than the others.

“How are you? Are you okay? What happened?” I asked as soon as I broke the hug.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine honey.” She said as she pushed some of my hair away from my face and gave me a small smile.

“How are you?” She asked.

“I’m fine.”

“I bet.” Rolling my eyes, I stepped back and took that time to look at my family. They looked genuinely happy. The only ones missing were my parents and uncle, but I knew they were watching over me.

“So, care to explain this?” Kol said as he dangled his phone in front of my nose.

“What are you talking about?” I asked as I grabbed his phone and tapped on the screen before it turned itself off. My eyes widened as an image of me and Josie lit up on his phone. Josie was snuggled up besides me, my head was leaning on top of hers. The yellow blanket covered our entangled legs. Josie’s arm was around my waist as I held her close. I looked at my aunt Freya, daggers in my eyes.

“What?” She chuckled. I pressed on the arrow to exit the photo and saw that she had sent it on the WhatsApp group chat. Curious, I started reading their messages.

**_Witchy sis:_ ** _  
Hope has a new crush_

_**Bitchy sis:**  
I need to know everything!_

_**Wolfie:**  
Did you really sneak in and take a photo honey?_

_**Witchy sis:**  
No, they fell asleep next me while watching a film_

_**My love:**  
What film was it?_

_It doesn’t matter what film, love.  
_

_  
What’s her name??_

_**Witchy sis:**  
Josie Saltzman_

_**Bitchy sis:**  
Caroline’s kid? Huh… It’s a small world_

_**Marcellus:**  
You’ve been alive for a thousand years and you only noticed now?_

_**Bitchy sis:**  
…_

_Is she good enough for our niece?_

_**My love:**  
No one is good enough for her in your eyes_

_That’s true_

_**Witchy sis:**  
You’ll get to know her soon enough. She’s coming tomorrow night for dinner_

_Are we playing matchmaker now? Cause if so, count me in_

_**Bitchy sis:**  
Me too_

_**Marcellus:**  
Helping my little sis get the girl? I’m in_

__**Wolfie:**  
Hope’s going to kill us if she gets a whiff of this  
That being said, count me in 

“Well aunt Keelin you were right about that.” I said with a small chuckle and a smirk as I finished reading their group conversation. I looked up at her. She had her brows furrowed in confusion. I turned the phone around, waving it in the air. Her eyes widened as the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. After I got the reaction I wanted, I handed the phone back to Kol. “Does aunt Rebekah know you called her ‘Bitchy sis’ in your contacts?”

“You did what?” Rebekah yelled as she vamp sped to Kol, one hand around his neck lifting him up ever so slightly that his feet were no longer touching the ground.

“I guess not.” I said as I walked towards Keelin and Nik. I kneeled down to meet my little cousin and started playing with him as I let Marcel calm his wife down. Once aunt Rebekah was on the other side of the room and uncle Kol was back on the floor, Freya spoke.

“So, now we’re all here, we should probably get down to business.”

“Yes, I agree. I would like to know who attacked my wife here and for what reasons. Then maybe teach them a lesson or two.” Kol said with a hint of vengeance in his voice.

“We will figure this out but killing will be the last resort. By the sounds of it, it was a witch who attacked you.” Freya said as her attention pivoted to Davina who nodded. “So, killing whoever is responsible would only ensure another war. I rather enjoy the quiet life or are you already bored of it, dear brother?” Her gaze was now fixed on uncle Kol who reached for Aunt Davina’s hand. “I thought not.”

“Did you see anything suspicious before you were attacked? Was there someone acting odd or a strange smell?” Aunt Rebekah chimed in from behind me. Both Kol and Davina looked at each other then at the room and shook their heads. Suddenly Kol’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Wait. There was this woman.” He said. “She was in the crowd when Davina collapsed. She didn’t seem to care about what was happening, she just walked off.”

“Well, what did she look like?” Aunt Rebekah pressed.

“Tall, thick and tangled dark hair. She had brown eyes that matched the colour of her skin. She wore a leather bracelet and that’s all I can remember.”

It felt like a light bulb lit up above my head. Kol’s description of the witch he saw seemed familiar to me. I scrambled to my room and came back a few minutes later with my sketchbook lifted above my head in triumph.

“Is this her?” I ask, flipping through my sketches until I landed on the one I was looking for, handing it to Kol.

“Yes. Where have you seen her before?” He asked me.

“I saw her wandering around the grounds a few months ago, then I saw her with two young students a week later. I drew this after that, just in case.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Doctor Saltzman butted in. I had completely forgotten he was there. He hadn’t spoken at all during our reunion or when Rebekah had my Uncle in a chokehold.

“I thought it was suspicious, but I honestly forgot about her until a few moments ago.” I replied sternly. I had been helping him for months to track down MG and new recruits and he has the nerve to talk to me like that.

“That’s her.” Uncle Kol exclaimed suddenly.

The rest of the family huddled over to Kol and I to look at my sketch. I watched them and they all seemed to have the same wrinkled brows. I understood right there that no one knew who this woman was or why she had done what she had.

“Maybe she’s a family member of one of the students?” Davina said after a while, looking up to meet Doctor Saltzman’s gaze. He quickly walked over to take a peek at my drawing.

“I don’t recognise her. Whoever she is, she is not a parent or a teacher.”

“So, what was she doing in Mystic Falls and in the south of France?” Marcel asked the room.

“I have no idea.” Freya said, still looking at the sketch.

“Who were the two students, Hope? The ones you saw with her.” Doctor Saltzman asked me.

“Pedro and another boy called Joshua Hernandez.” I said. “Joshua disappeared with the woman when I tried to confront her but the next day, I saw him reading a book in the library as if nothing happened. When I talked to him about the events of the day, he didn’t have a clue what I was talking about.”

The room fell silent once more as we all tried to find a reason as to what this woman was doing, until suddenly I remembered something. “She made him drink something.” This caught everyone’s attention. “I don’t know what, but one moment he was nervous then he drank something, and she performed a spell on him. Next thing I know they’re both gone, and he seemed to have forgotten everything.”

The bell rang to signal the end of class and the end of this conversation.

“Hope, go back to class. We’ll discuss this more tonight over dinner.” Aunt Freya said, waving me off.

I picked up my bag from where I had dropped it and flung it on my shoulder. With a small wave, I left my family and Doctor Saltzman to head to charms.

**Josie’s POV**

I was happy for Hope when her aunt picked her up from class. I saw the excitement in her eyes when she heard her voice. She tried to hide it, obviously. I mean this is Hope. She’s not one to show her emotions for the world to see.

The rest of the class was uneventful besides the whispers. For once, it wasn’t about me but about the Mikaelson who interrupted the lesson. Once the bell rang, I waited a few minutes for the crowd to die down before heading to charms. It was the last class of the day and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Unfortunately, I had another hour with Emma afterwards but then that I was free to do whatever I wanted. It was a Friday after all.

I was surprised to see Hope sitting in the back of the class reading a book instead of spending some time with her family.

“Hey Hope.” I said as I sat down in the chair next to her. “What are you doing here?”

“Ouch, we’ve shared this class all year and you only notice now? I must say that stings.” She says with her lips turned upwards.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” I said rolling my eyes at her. “Why aren’t you with your family?”

Shrugging she replied, “They’re staying here for a while so I might as well go to class. Unless you don’t want me here. Then I might as well leave.” She quirked her eyebrow the same way I noticed Freya had yesterday. It must be a Mikaelson thing.

“No, you can stay. You’re not that bad of company.” I said, bumping my shoulder into hers.

“I’ll try to not take offence at that.” She replied before shutting her book and putting it in her bag, swapping it out for her pencil case and notebook. I took that time to do the same. As I looked up, I saw the classroom was full and the teacher had sat down to start the lesson.

After a very unproductive lesson – I may or may not have been watching a certain auburn-haired girl doodle throughout the entire class – I walked down the empty hallways to Emma’s office. As I opened the door, I was greeted with a smiling Emma sitting on a wingback chair.

“Hello Josie. How was your day?” She asked as she reached for my file that was on the coffee table in front of her.

“Fine.” I said as I sat across from her on an identical wingback chair.

“I’ve noticed. You seem to be happier, more like your old self. Am I right?” She questioned, her eyes wide and a smile adorning her face, waiting for an acknowledgement. However, her words seemed to have negated the bubbly feeling I felt in the pit of my stomach. Yes, I felt happier, but no I wasn’t back to my _old self_. I wouldn’t ever be like before. I simply couldn’t. My old self was manipulated by so many people, pushed around even from family. I didn’t want to go back to that. I wouldn’t. But how was I to tell Emma all of this without her being frightened of me? If I said the wrong word or acted out, I would spike fear into her. Would she send me to a prison world like they did for Jade, Wendy, and Diego? Surely what I did was just as bad as what they did, maybe worse. If it were any other student would they be treated like this? Or would they have been imprisoned or worse killed?

All these thoughts rushed through my mind a mile a minute, each one fueling the frustration and fear already in me a little bit more. However, instead of voicing all of this, I sat there with an insincere smile plastered on my face, nodding, and replying with one-word answers, swallowing any and all negative feelings deep down.

That night I was getting ready for the Mikaelson dinner. Lizzie was off with Kaleb, like most nights now, so I had to get ready by myself. If I was honest, I would have loved to have my sister by my side to pick out my outfit and do my hair but that’s not the way it works with us. If Lizzie needs help, I’m there. If Lizzie feels down, I listen. If Lizzie has a bad day and lashes out, I’m usually on the receiving end. I love my sister, but sometimes I wished she would be there for me like I am for her. She was trying, especially since spring break last year, but after dark me, she’d been distant. I didn’t blame her. I tried to merge with her. I cursed MG. Still, it would have been nice to have my sister by my side for once.

It was around eight o’clock when I heard a faint knock. Closing the book I was currently reading and pushing myself off the bed I walked over to the door. Before my hand reached the nob, I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror, putting on the bottom of my skirt. Once I was sure, I looked good I opened the door.

“Hey, Jo. You look good.” Hope said, eyeing my outfit.

“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.” I said. I would have said she looked beautiful, but that’s a bit… too much. She was absolutely stunning with her wavy auburn hair loose around her shoulders, framing her face beautifully. She was wearing a simple white shirt with black buttons, the top two were undone, and black jeans. Something very Hope, yet it changed from her Salvatore uniform I was so used to seeing her wear. Of course, she had her black combo boots, I think she never took them off.

My comment made her blush which immediately made the butterflies in my stomach dance.

“Shall we?” She said. I nodded then we proceeded to walk away, closing the door behind me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still haven't figured out how to put some text on the right side of the page. Sooo, if you know how to do that with the HTML please could you tell me how to do it please?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! How's your month been? Sorry for the late update, life happened and I had the worse writer's block. I've rewritten this chapter like five times. I just didn't like it.  
> I hope you like it :)  
> Comment what you think, I don't bite!

**Hope’s POV**

The sun was starting to set as we left the Salvatore Boarding School. The different shades of pink, purple and orange hit Josie’s face perfectly, revealing her freckles and accentuating her pouty lips. The sight took my breath away. I had a sudden urge to paint Josie like this. I wasn’t even aware I had stopped walking until Josie looked at me, her head tilted slightly in confusion. The new position let the sunset reflect off her brown eyes, making her eyes even that more inviting to stare into. 

“What is it?” She asked, her eyes piercing mine.

“You’re beautiful.” The words slipped out. My eyes widened. Had I just said that to Josie? It’s obvious of course, Josie is gorgeous, but to say it to her before we were about to meet my family…. It’s the definition of bad timing. My gaze flicked to anything and everything except Josie. I didn’t want to see the face that she was making. However, when she muttered a shy thanks, I glanced at her. A faint tint of red was visible on her cheeks. The involuntary action from her part made my heart flutter and a proud smile appear on my face. “Come, the car’s this way.” I said after a few moments of staring at Josie.

We walked over to the garage that stood on the far right of the school entrance. Reaching inside my pocket, I pulled out a clicker and pressed it. The doors to the garage opened, the lights turning on automatically, revealing my car uncle Elijah had gifted me before he died. I walked over to the keys dangling from the hook and unlocked the car.

“My lady.” I said to Josie, opening the passenger door and bowing slightly, gesturing for her to get in. With a small chuckle, Josie complied. After closing the door, I walked over to the driver’s side and hopped in.  
The drive to the Mystic Grill was made in silence, except for the soft hum of the song playing on the radio. Stealing a few quick glances to the girl on my right, I noticed she was playing with her fingers as she looked out of the window.

“Don’t worry. They’re going to love you. Aunt Freya already does.” I said to her, turning my face to her, keeping an eye on the road.

She nodded, gracing me with one of her smiles. “You’re right. Besides, she has a promise to keep.” My eyebrow quirked at that.

“What exactly did she promise?”

“Nothing of your concern.” She replied vaguely. Moments later we were parked in front of the grill. I jumped out of the car, then proceeded to open Josie’s door. She grabbed her purse then followed me inside.  
As the door chimed, my entire family turned around, their previous conversation turning to a sudden halt. Their eyes kept dancing between Josie and I. Auntie Bex threw me a knowing look. Aunt Freya was the first to greet us, followed closely by Keelin and Nik.

“Hey Josie, glad you could make it.” She said after giving me a short hug, turning towards Josie, opening her arms to embrace her. Once they pulled apart, Keelin and Nik were by my aunt’s side. “This is Keelin, my wife, and our son Nik.”

“It’s nice to meet the both of you.” Josie replied kindly, glancing between the two strangers in front of her.

“Well, she certainly is well mannered. Certainly not Caroline’s doing.” Rebekah snarked lightly, probably meaning it as a joke. I hoped.

“Careful sister, the little witch was powerful enough to bring back an entire town’s memories of our niece. I wouldn’t want to poke the bear; she is Caroline and Ric’s daughter after all.” Kol said, joining his sister’s side, placing a hand on her shoulder in order to stop her from moving forward.

I looked back at Josie who looked… proud? Surprised? Maybe a mixture of both. Her mouth was opening and closing like a guppy, trying to find what to say.

“Calm down honey, they were just joking.” Aunt Davina said, walking up to us, hitting Kol on his shoulder on the way over. “I’m Davina, Kol’s wife/babysitter. I swear, he’s still a child sometimes.”

“Oh my god.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

Ignoring uncle Kol’s comment, Davina chuckled at Josie whose eyes were as wide as saucers. “What?” She asked.

“N- nothing. It’s just I’ve been a huge fan of yours since I was little. You’re a little badass.” Josie blurted out, blushing slightly afterwards.

“Hey! What about me?” I asked, with a hint of hurt in my voice. “I’ve literally been slaying Malivore monsters for two years.”

Josie looked at me up and down, before stopping when she reached my eyes. “Eh.” She shrugged. “You’re alright.” Then turned back to Davina whilst the rest of my family held in a chuckle.

“Whatever. Let’s just eat.” I said, sighing in false defeat, walking over to the string of tables pushed together. Rebekah must have bought the place out for the night; we were the only ones here. Once everyone was seated, Auntie Bex spoke.

“Alright, so will someone explain to me why we have a witch trying to melt Davina’s brain?” She asked before taking a sip of her glass of red, calling over the waiter with her free hand.

“We don’t know.” Aunt Freya replied as the waiter walked up to our table and asked for our orders. It took a few minutes for everyone to order. We would have been done sooner if uncle Kol could make his mind up. In the end Davina order for him; a double cheeseburger with extra fries. I mean, was it really that hard? Once the waiter left, the conversation picked right back up.

“Is she an old enemy? Does she look familiar to anyone? Did we wrong her somehow?” Aunt Freya asked.

“We’ve been alive for a thousand years and had enemies ever since. Of course, we wronged her somehow.” Rebekah replied harshly.

“Well I for one did not. I pride myself on my memory, and she is not one of mine.” Uncle Kol said which made his wife roll her eyes and scoff. His eyebrow quipped, his gaze falling on the woman next to him. 

“What’s with the scoff?” He asked.

“Darling, you can’t even remember to put the laundry in the wash. What makes you think you have a good memory?” She asked, her face mimicking her husband’s.

“That’s nothing. That’s mundane stuff. My enemies though, those are the faces I will never forget.” He said, standing a little taller, emphasising his point.

“Sure… Let’s not cross you out just yet.” Aunt Davina replied, turning her attention to the rest of the family. “Anyone else?” The table simultaneously shook their heads. “Great. ” She grumbled.

The food arrived minutes later, engulfing the room with various smells. Josie and I both got burgers whilst others ordered something more on the luxurious side. Since when did Mystic Grill sell caviar?

Whilst we ate, the conversations were more light-hearted. My family was trying to get to know Josie better. She was the first one of my friends my family had met, and I was quite nervous honestly. However, when I turned my head and saw Josie and Marcel laughing, my heart warmed.

“And then she walked around the place, butt naked, with paint all over her face.” He finished in between laughs. My eyes widened at the sudden realisation he was talking about my unfortunate sugar high of 2015. With a flick of my wrist, Marcel’s mouth disappeared and with it, any other embarrassing stories about me. Josie laughed only louder, her head tilted back and tears running down her cheeks.

“That’s enough story time, Marcelus.” I said with a stern look.

“Oh, stop being a grinch.” Josie said as she tried to calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes. It really wasn’t that funny of a story…

Reluctantly, I reversed the spell. Marcel released a breath. His gaze flicked between me and Josie before resting on her. “To be continued.” He said slyly, prior to taking another bite out of his meal.

As dessert came around, the conversation drifted to school. More precisely, to MG. I had told my family about him, so they could keep a lookout. Unfortunately, they heard nothing but whispers.

“Last I heard, he was in Oregon.” Auntie Bex said, swallowing her chocolate cake. “But that was at least two months ago.”

I nodded slightly. “Yeah, that was the last time Ric, and I had to clean up his… mess.” My family hummed in agreement. As for Josie, her eyes widened, tears threatening to break free. Had Doctor Saltzman not told her what MG had been doing? Surely, he wouldn’t hide that from them. He must have learned by now that keeping the twins in the dark was dangerous. He wasn’t that stupid, was he?

“How many?” She asked, barely above a whisper, I nearly missed it. My brows furrowed as I counted in my head. Josie must have thought I didn’t hear her, so she repeated herself. “How many bodies, Hope?”

“Over fifty. In Oregon, he had killed twenty teens. We had to burn down the house. It was the most gruesome kills yet.” I replied, my voice soft, or at least trying to be. MG was Josie’s best friend; it couldn’t be easy hearing what he had done.

“This is all my fault.” She whispered, her tears falling with her head down. Taking her chin in my hand and turning her face to look at me, I wiped her tears away.

“No. It’s not. Don’t say that. You weren’t yourself. This is not on you, okay?” I said sternly, her eyes boring into mine. She nodded slightly before leaning away, pushing her chair back and standing up.

“I- I… Excuse me.” She said, then headed to the bathroom. I stood up, ready to follow her, but Auntie Bex put her hand on my shoulder before I could.

“Let me.” She said, before following Josie.

**Josie’s POV**

As the door swung shut, I rushed to the sink and pulled out the flask I had stashed in my small purse. I took a few gulps, letting the alcohol glide down my throat, burning it a little. I welcomed the sting with open arms. As I closed the flask, the door to the bathroom shut firmly once again. Looking up, I saw the reflection of Rebekah Mikaelson leaning against the door, with a creased brow and her arms crossed. She looked pissed off. 

“Josie.” She said sternly, no hint of the playfulness she had throughout dinner. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as a shiver went down my spine. “Is that what I think it is?” She said, eyeing the flask held tightly in my grip.

My silence was answer enough as the Mikaelson vampire walked closer to me, spinning me around. I was now facing her. Her glare more threatening than it was before. I audibly gulped; my eyes fixed on hers. Ever so delicately, I started slipping the flask back into my purse. But, before I could, Rebekah grabbed hold of it and yanked it out of my grasp. What is it with the Mikaelson family and taking my drinks?  
“This.” She said, waving the metal flask in front of my face. “Is not the answer. It’s never the answer.” With a deep sigh, her hand dropped to her side and her gaze softened. “Look. I know you’ve been through a lot; it’s been a difficult few months for you.”

_Understatement of the year._

“What with Malivore, Landon and your dark magic. I know it all. But drowning your sorrows in alcohol will not magically solve all of your problems. That’s not how it works. Yes, you screwed up, but that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes. Nothing is black or white. We all have dark and light in us, but what sets us apart is what we do afterwards. So, what is it? Are you going to stay on your alcohol diet, or are you doing to sober up and help?”

I was taken aback by what Rebekah had just said. No one had the guts to tell me all of this since I got back. I let my gaze fall on my flask currently in her grasp, then looked behind her to the door. I didn’t want to spiral anymore. I didn’t want to be a nuisance. I didn’t want to turn into my father and sneak around anymore. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. I didn’t want to have anyone else look at me the way Rebekah was looking at me right now. But how was I supposed to fix any of this? MG had disappeared, leaving countless bodies in his wake. How was I supposed to sleep at night, knowing that I was the reason all those people were dead because of me? How was I going to be able to live with myself?

“You power through, and you do any and everything possible to make it right.” Rebekah said as if she could read my mind, or maybe I just blurted it out without knowing.

I nodded as I held my hand out for my flask. With a raised brow, Rebekah handed it back to me. I unscrewed the cap, turned back around to face the sink, and poured the remaining liquid down the drain. I felt a wave of relief coursing through my body.

_Maybe I can do this._

**Hope’s POV**

Auntie Bex and Josie had been in the bathroom for over twenty minutes. My leg was shaking nervously as I kept glancing in the direction they went. _Should I go and see what’s going on? What if they have killed each other? What if Josie crawled out of the bathroom window and Rebekah’s looking for her?_

“Hope, stop.” Aunt Freya said, sitting down in Auntie Bex’s seat, and putting her hand on my leg. I instantly stopped the shaking and whipped my head round to her. “They’re fine. They’re just talking.”  
I hummed, nodding slightly then turned towards the rest of my family who were all watching me. Except for Nik, whose head was turned towards the window facing the street. “Who’s that?” He asked.  
Everyone turned their heads, following his gaze. There stood a dark figure peering through the glass, watching us. Squinting, I noticed the familiar features of Rafael Waithe. He was wearing a black hoodie and black jeans, his hands in his pockets. Abruptly, I stood up and walked over to the window. He didn’t even flinch. The closer I got, the more unfamiliar he seemed. His face was blank of all emotion, his usually crinkles around his eyes had disappeared and his eyes… They were white. 

The Necromancer.

I growled at my friend standing across from me which elicited a smirk to form on his face. Growling once more, I let my fangs descend. I didn’t hear the additional footsteps behind me, or the soft voice calling my name.

“Hope?” She called, stepping closer to me. A slight gasp escaped her lips once she saw Rafael staring at us. “Raf?” Josie whispered.

Keeping an eye on Raf, I responded. “That’s not Raf, Josie. That’s the Necromancer.” As soon as I said his name out loud, Rafael chortled and walked away.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think we've established I'm really bad with keeping up with updates. But I'm trying, and I prefer to post something that I'm happy with than something crappy, you know?  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy

**Josie’s POV**

Running out of the door was Hope, quickly followed by her family and me. The only ones remaining in the Mystic Grill were Nik, because he was far too young to chase after a werewolf under the Necromancer’s influence, and Keelin.

Once outside, the night air engulfed me in the coldness. The wind brushing up against my bare arms and legs. Shuddering in the night, I watched as the Mikaelson clan encircled Rafael. The streetlamp, the only source of light, accentuating Rafael’s bleached eyes and monotonous face. Apart from us, the street was empty, no one could see the scene before me. In the distance, we could hear the faint barking of a dog and the rumbling noise of a car driving in the deserted streets of Mystic Falls.

Hope, with an emotionless face, was the first to break the circle, taking a step towards him, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Hope.” Rafael said, his voice a mixture of his and the Necromancer’s.

“Necromancer.” She spat. “I would say it’s a pleasure, but clearly it isn’t.”

“Always a charmer, much like your father.” The mention of her father unsettled Hope, her shoulders flinched noticeably, even from afar, and her arms squeezed tighter around her chest. “He says hi.”

The Necromancer knew what he was doing, he clearly saw the effect his words had on Hope, whose eyes flicked between blue and gold. Her arms were now by her side, her hands clenched into fists. MG had called me the night Hope had jumped into the Necromancer’s subconscious, riddled with guilt. The way he had described how distraught she was… it broke my heart. Whatever happened then was clearly fresh in her mind. All I wanted to do was run up to Hope and pull her away from the Necromancer. I wanted to siphon all his magic away, make him suffer for ever hurting Hope. However, my feet felt like they were cemented to the ground, unable to move, only watch.

“Don’t. You. Dare. Talk. About. My. Father.” She said through clenched teeth. Even from a distance, I could see her fangs descending from her gums, wolf venom spewing from her mouth.

A deep dark chuckle escaped Rafael’s lips. “Oh? Don’t want to hear how much of a disappointment daddy’s little girl is to him? He gave his life so you could what? Cry yourself to sleep and wallow in self pity? Despicable.”

A growl reverberated through the street bouncing off the building walls. Before anyone could react, Hope had Rafael pinned down, her hand deep inside his chest with a tight grip on his heart.

“Hope, honey, that’s enough.” Rebekah said in a calming voice, stepping towards her niece. Her hand reached out and rested on Hope’s shoulder who flinched at the touch. Whipping her head towards her aunt, her fangs bared and her eyes golden, her grip tightened around Raf’s heart, if the whimper escaping his lips were any indication. Her aunt retracted her hand, the corner of her lips pulled down into a frown.

No one moved. The atmosphere around us was so dense, you could cut it with a knife. The Mikaelson’s shared worried glances, each wondering how to settle this without any deaths.

In the silence of the night air, the sudden chime of the Mystic Grill entrance caught our attention. Keelin walked out with a sleepy Nik in her arms. After a quick glance at her family, Keelin saw the dire situation we were currently in. Her furrowed brows relaxed before striding towards me, careful not to wake her son.

“Go to her.” She whispered once she reached me.

Head tilted slightly and a furrowed brow, I spoke.

“Why?”

“She’ll listen to you.” Was all she said. I stared at her blankly for a few minutes. Why would she listen to me if she reacted so poorly to her aunt? It didn’t make any sense. “Go.” Keelin said with a shooing motion. The cemented feeling disappeared as I started to walk.

_Okay, so how am I supposed to do this? Would this even work? Just talk to her, she’ll listen to me. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully._

The walk from where Keelin stood and the Mikaelsons further down the road felt like an eternity. Auburn hair glimmered in the faint lights, my mind drifted off to how someone could look so beautiful when their hand was in my friend’s chest. As soon as I reached Hope, I crouched down. It was then that I could see the blood seeping out of Rafael’s mouth, sliding down his face and falling on the cold hard road. His small groans were drowned out by Hope’s low and constant growling. Shocked, I turned my gaze towards her.

“Hope?” I asked gently. “Hope, it’s me. Josie. Please let him go. It’s not Raf’s fault, he’s not in control.” She snarled at me and gripped his heart tighter. Raf turned his head and spat out some more blood. His white eyes melted back to their original dark brown. His gaze found mine as he pleaded silently for his life. Unshed tears filled my eyes as I turned back to Hope whose own eyes were still golden and looking at Rafael as if he were prey. “Hope. Please.” I begged. “He’s your friend. The Necromancer was the one that killed Landon, not Raf. Hope? Are you listening to me, Hope?” I pleaded once more as I reached out to her and settled my hand on her shoulder. She shifted her gaze to me, her features softening. Her eyes started flickering between gold and blue. “Let him go, Hope. Please.” I begged.

Hope’s gaze kept shifting from me to Raf. I could see the anger, the hesitation, the guilt and so much more wash over her face, before her eyes settled to blue. Slowly, she retracted her hand from his chest which was followed by a gasp coming from Rafael. He rolled on his side, his hand on his chest, as he tried to catch his breath.

“I- I’m… What-” Hope muttered under her breath, her head down, her hands trembling. I reached out to her, but she quickly shrugged me off. “D- don’t. It’s… I’m not safe.” She said trembling. Without warning, she stood up and started running.

“Hope!” Freya called. The sound of cracking bones answered her before a distant howl filled the night sky. Hope was gone.

**Hope’s POV**

I’ve never feared death. At least that was what I thought.

As a Mikaelson, death was a constant factor in my life. People had been constantly trying to kill me since before I was born. I always knew I’ve had a target on my back. 

The slight glimpse of death I had when I had the hollow in me frightened me. Despite the eventuality of turning into a vampire, I did not wish it. That was true when I was fifteen, and it still was now. However, after jumping into Malivore, I surmised that my death would be the only thing that could truly kill it. 

The almighty tribrid would have to die to save the ones she loves.

It seemed almost poetic, it was how my parents died. With love in their heart. It completes the circle. Who knew that the Mikaelsons, after centuries of tormenting humans and supernaturals alike, would die for love? 

However, after Landon’s death that was followed by a lack of monsters, I thought I could live without dying. Maybe I could grow old and die of old age, never activating my vampire side. It was a silly dream I had, one that would not pass. It was stupid of me to think that. As I said before, I’ve always had a target on my back. Even when I had done no wrong but exist, breath, love, hurt. 

Hurt.

It seemed like the universe was playing a cruel joke on me. It was not my fault I existed. I had no say in the matter, yet I was the one constantly on the receiving end of the sharp pointy stick. Whether it was loss, love, pain or guilt, I suffered through it all. My parents never wanted this life for me. They wanted to be here with me, watch me grow, watch me love and be loved, protect me, love me, be here for me unlike their parents. Yet, somehow, I still ended up an orphan. The pain never leaves you. The guilt still eats away at you in the middle of the night. The constant what ifs and doubts fill your mind as you drift off to sleep. 

_Was their sacrifice worth it? Would they be proud of the person I have become? Would they dance or turn in their graves for the things I have done? Was my life really worth saving?_

It didn’t matter how long ago it was, their deaths were still a jab in the heart whenever they were mentioned. And he knew that. The Necromancer knew how to get under my skin, and I fell for it. If it weren’t for Josie, I would have ripped Rafael’s heart out without blinking. Throughout the entire encounter, my wolf was itching for the blood of the man who killed Landon. She wanted revenge. My mind and body were two separate entities. Until, at least, a certain brown headed girl with a warm heart and a sweet voice brought me back.

Rafael would be dead if it weren’t for Josie. 

The sudden thought sent chills down my spine. I couldn’t control my wolf. How was I supposed to face the Necromancer if I couldn’t control a large part of myself? How would I face my family? Rafael? Josie? I had never lost control before. What was I to do?

All these thoughts ran through my mind as I ran, with all my strength, through the woods of Mystic Falls. It felt freeing running as a wolf. However, tonight was a night I reigned in my animalistic urges. I didn’t truly give in to my wolf, despite her constant want for it. I could feel her in the back of my mind, urging me to just give in. To let go. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t trust her if we were to stumble upon some innocent human beings. Especially since we were a ten minute run from civilisation. 

Instead, I ran. I ran until all I could concentrate on was the dirt beneath my paws and the burning of my lungs. It was near sunrise when I found my way back to the school. I had to briefly shift back to my naked human self to get the gate open, before running towards the school. Still in my wolf form, I walked through the empty corridors up to my room. Only then did I shift back and fumbled into my room. The door slammed behind me, followed by a squeal. I quickly whipped my head around and my eyes widened.

“Josie?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has anybody heard of webnovel before? 
> 
> So, what did you think? I'm genuinely curious


	13. Chapter 13

**Hope’s POV**

A blush crept upon Josie’s face as she covered her eyes with her hands. She was sat crisscrossed on my bed, facing the door. She was wearing a flimsy top and night shorts that seemed to ride up a bit.

“Hope?” Josie squeaked, peeking through her fingers ever so slightly. “Could you… um … put some clothes on?” Her blush seemed to only darken at the statement.

I quickly glimpsed down and noticed my naked self in all of its glory. Training and fighting monsters had really paid off. Then I looked back up at Josie who, as I could see, was still watching me from behind her hands. A small smirk graced my lips when a sudden thought popped up.

“Why? It seems to me like you’re enjoying the view.” I said, taking a step closer.

I expected her to fumble on her words, to turn around or bury her face in a pillow. I was not expecting her to let her hands drop to her lap and have her look at me up and down with a small smirk on her lips.

“The view’s much better like this, I agree.” With that, she crawled off the bed and walked over to my dresser. Rummaging through it, she found one of the big t-shirts I wear as pyjamas and closed the drawer. She turned on her heels and walked straight to me, shirt in hand. “However, I would much rather talk tonight. I’ll admire the view another night.” She said the last sentence in a whisper, her hand pressed against my chest with the top’s fabric between us.

A shiver went down my spine, but I tried to not make it noticeable. However, the little glint in Josie’s brown eyes indicated she saw the effect she had on me. She gracefully turned around and walked over to the other side of the room, letting me get dressed. After pulling the shirt down, that reached my knees, I walked over to my dresser where Josie was and pulled out some underwear.

Fully dressed, I walked over to my bed and sat down. I called Josie to sit beside me. The mattress dipped a bit further away than I expected. Josie was sat in front of me, one leg under her body and the other dangling on the edge of the bed. Her blush seemed to have calmed down, her cheeks had only a tint of pink left on them.

“So, what brings you here at this hour of the morning?” I asked, looking out of the window where the sun was beginning to rise.

“Oh…um…” She stammered. “I couldn’t sleep, and I wanted to see how you were after everything. So, I came here and when I saw you weren’t here, I decided to stay and wait for you.” She said sheepishly, her hands still fidgeting in her lap. Suddenly, her eyes widened in horror. “Oh my god, I’m a stalker!” She said before hiding her face in her hands.

Her comment made me chuckle as I reached for her hands and pulled them away from her face. Scooting closer so I could keep her hands in mine, I started talking.

“You’re no stalker, Josette Saltzman. You’re a worried friend.” _Friend_. Oh, how I despised that word for her. It no longer sat right. For years I had pushed her away, taunted her, kept her at arm’s length, for her safety. Anyone loved by a Mikaelson ends up dead or hating us. I couldn’t live with that. Live in a world where Josie hated me, or in a world where she was dead. Yet, somehow, she managed to claw her way into my life. And feelings started stirring up, an old crush resurfaced and now… well now I simply didn’t want her as a friend. I wanted more. I needed more. So, calling Josie a friend was… painful, to say the least.

“So… how are you?” She asked, pulling me from my thoughts. My gaze shifted to the wall behind Josie. Suddenly, having her full attention on me, something I usually relish in, was uncomfortable. A tug on my hands forced me to look at them. A small smile spread across my lips once I saw our intertwined fingers. “Hope?”

Looking up, I saw a hint of worry in Josie’s eyes. I felt a twinge of guilt for being the reason she was worried and squeezed her hand to reassure her.

“Sorry.” I said softly. “It’s just…I could have killed him. I was going to kill him. If you weren’t there, his heart would be on the road right now.” A teardrop landed on our hands. I quickly pulled my hand out of her grasp to wipe my tears away. “Sorry.” I said between sniffles. “I’m being ridiculous.”

“Don’t say that. You’re being completely rational. Yes, you nearly killed Raf, but you didn’t.” She said, squeezing my hand.

“Because of you –“

“Maybe. But the most important thing is that you stopped. No matter the reason why.” She placed her hand on my cheek, wiping the few tears still escaping my eyes. Josie scanned my face before speaking again. “You’re not a monster Hope.” She said softly yet firmly. Her eyes were locked on mine and I let myself drown in those brown pools that were so soft and warm. A small yawn coming from Josie broke us out of our trance.

“We should sleep.” I said, leaning back. With a small nod, Josie stood up and started to walk to the door. “What are you doing?” I asked her.

“I’m going to my room.” She replied with a shrug.

“You know…” I hesitantly started. “There’s enough space on my bed for the both of us. And… I don’t really want to be by myself tonight.” My gaze fell to my hands that were playing with my duvet covers. My heart was beating faster from the confession.

Suddenly, the room was engulfed in silence. When I looked back up, Josie was shifting her weight from left to right, contemplating what to do. “Alright.” She said after a few more seconds of awkward silence.

I jumped off my bed and settled under my covers, all while trying to hide the wide grin plastered on my face. Soon, the mattress dipped and beside me laid Josie, on her back and her hands fidgeting on her chest.

“You know, it’s not the first time you’ll sleep in this bed.” I chuckled. “I don’t bite.” That comment was accompanied by an eyeroll and a cushion hitting my face.

“Good night, Hope.” Josie said after settling back down. I turned over and curled into a ball, then turned the lights off with a flick of the wrist.

“Good night, Jo.” I yawned. As I started drifting off to sleep, I felt an arm wrap around my torso and soft breathing against my neck. Instantly, I relaxed in the embrace. I could definitely go to sleep like this every night. And with that thought in mind, I fell asleep.

**Lizzie’s POV**

The werewolf cells felt, somehow, colder than it did before. The late January air seeping through the damp walls and the muffled sobs from down the hall sent a shiver down my spine. Every step reminded me of everything I had lost not three months ago. Ever since, I had been mentally slapping myself for not seeing it sooner.

I’m in love with MG.

I couldn’t believe it took me this long to realise it. It took him disappearing for me to realise it. Worst of all was that I was completely powerless to do anything to bring him back. I hated that feeling. I was used to feeling in control, powerful. The exact opposite of what I had been feeling since dark Josie.

My thoughts had been spiralling for weeks. My medication was barely helping. It was the calm before the storm, as my sister phrased it once. The problem was, I didn’t know when it would be too much. When I would crack. I had gotten better, I no longer destroyed the Salvatore kitchen for merely being rejected, but this was reaching my new limits.

I stopped walking once I reached Rafael’s cell. I had heard of his… arrival, dad’s words not mine, from Josie that morning when she barged into the room at eight o’clock. She was rummaging through her wardrobe, clearly frustrated, when I finally sat up.

“What’s with you?” I asked, rubbing my eyes. As my hands dropped, I glimpsed at her side of the room. The bed was made, something that was never the case at this hour in the morning, which meant she had just come back. That piqued my interest. With a quirked eyebrow, I asked “And where were you last night?”

My second question got a reaction out of my twin. Finally. She swiftly turned on her heels and stared at me blankly.

“Raf’s back.” She said in a monotonous tone before turning around once again and resuming her search.

“What do you mean he’s back?” I asked, getting out of bed, and moving towards Josie. “Jo?” I reached for her shoulder that instantly shrugged. She kept her head facing the wardrobe as she replied.

“I mean, Rafael appeared out of nowhere last night and Hope nearly killed him. Now he’s in the wolf cells, okay?” She said, more as a statement then a question.

So, that’s how I ended up in the wolf transitioning cells, standing in front of a weeping Rafael. It was a complete contrast to how he usually was. Before, he stood tall, he was proud and loyal. That was not the person curled up in a ball in front of me. He was merely a shadow of his former self. A ghost.

“Raf?” I asked tentatively. The weeping died down slowly, turning into sniffles. His head, that was once buried in his knees, rose. It was only a few inches, but it was better than nothing. At least I knew that he had heard me. I took a step forward, but his words halted me.

“Stop.” It was more of a plea than an order, yet I complied nonetheless. If this were Lizzie from five months ago, she would have scoffed and given him a piece of her mind. Yet, I was not like that anymore. I had changed.

“Raf. How… Are you okay?” I asked, wincing at my own stupid question. Of course, he wasn’t. That was clear, but I didn’t know what to say or do. Josie was more adapted; she knew how to do this. Talk to the sad, the hurt. I was always on the receiving end of her wisdom.

“No.” He replied.

_Crap, what was I supposed to do now?_

I pursed my lips and frowned as I thought of what to say. Before I could register what was spilling out of my lips, I spoke.

“Where’s MG?” I asked.

Rafael stared at me. Studying me. He pulled his legs closer to his chest and fiddled with his fingers.

“He’s not the same.” He started, shifting on the floor. “He’s not the MG you once knew. He’s changed. He’s…”

The sudden clanging of the door stopped Raf from saying whatever he was about to say. His gaze shifted from me to something behind me. Or should I say, someone.

“What are you doing here, Lizzie.” The annoying voice said from behind me.

“Oh, you know, doing what you’re not doing. Getting information on MG.” I said spinning around and glaring at Hope. I was rewarded with an eye roll.

“Yeah, well you can go now. You’re not needed here.” She replied, taking a few steps forward.

“On the contrary. I’ll stay.” Hope opened her mouth to retorque but was cut off by a shrill laugh coming from Raf’s cell.

“Came for round two, little one?” Raf said, but his voice was different. There were two voices, one his own and the other, the Necromancer’s.

“You know, I don’t know what’s more pathetic. You, using your little resurrected minions to do your dirty work, or the fact you believe I won’t rip Rafael’s heart out right now if it meant getting to you.” She replied, gliding towards the cell door, and bent over slightly. From this angle, I could see her eyes flash gold, threateningly, before she straightened. “It’s quite funny, really.” She continued nonchalantly, walking along the cell, her hand sliding along the bars. “I mean, the _almighty Necromancer_ is too afraid to physically fight. Instead he hides behind his puppets. You’re not the almighty anything, you’re just a witch with a trick up his sleeve. I bet you couldn’t win in a fight against me.”

“If it’s a fight you want tribrid, it’s a fight you’ll get.” He snarled.

Hope turned around, slightly giddy. “I’m looking forward to it.”

*

“You did what!?” Freya Mikaelson shrieked when her niece told her of her conversation with the Necromancer.

We were standing in dad’s office with a very pissed off Mikaelson family and a tired headmaster. Indeed, all the Mikaelsons were hovering over my dad’s desk where he sat, staring at the both of us with a hint of fury. Dad’s head was in his hands as he grumbled silently.

“This is the only way we can free Rafael. We need the Necromancer here to unlink Raf from him, and if I get to rip out his heart then so be it. It’s a win-win situation if you ask me.” Hope argued with her aunt.

“So, you decide the best course of action is to bait him into coming to fight you?” Freya asked, disbelieving. “You’re barely eighteen Hope! He’s been alive for centuries! What makes you think you can beat him!?”

At this point, Hope was fuming. I had never seen her like this before. “I’ve been defending the school for months against supernatural creatures we thought only existed in folklore. So, don’t talk to me like a child who doesn’t know what they are doing! I’ve fought a dragon, zombies, dream demons and so much more!”

“Yeah but none of them broke you like the Necromancer did!” Her aunt yelled.

The room stood still as Hope stumbled back a few steps, taken aback by her aunt’s words. In a choked voice, she spoke.

“You… You think I’m broken?”

Tears filled her eyes, her face frozen in disbelief and hurt.

“Hope, that’s not what she m-” Marcel tried to say, taking a step forward. Hope motioned for him to stop with her right hand.

“Stop.” She sniffled. “At least I now know what my family thinks of me.” She turned on her heels and walked out of the room, leaving the Mikaelsons, dad and I in her wake.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know... this was supposed to be a 6 chapter long fic

**Josie’s POV**

I stirred awake to the feeling of warm kisses trailing from my earlobe down to my collarbone. A warm soft hand traced circles on my stomach which contracted, involuntarily, to the skin to skin contact. Suddenly, the touching stopped, and the mattress dipped slightly as the curled body behind me moved. I fell onto my back, feeling the warmth emanating from the sheets where Hope was not two seconds ago. I didn’t have time to dwell on her absence, however, because before I knew it, she was straddling me. She resumed her warm kisses down my neck and collarbone, which made me gasp in delight. A wave of heat coursed through my body as a moan escaped my lips. Soon, her lips were on mine and I felt her tongue licking my bottom lip. Shortly, we were embroiled in a heated kiss, expressing our longing for each other. Another moan escaped my throat that resembled a lot to Hope’s name who stopped what she was doing and stared at me blankly.

“Josie? Josie? Josie!” She repeated, yet her voice sounded muffled. At another Josie, I jolted awake.

It took me a while to understand where I was. In Hope’s room. In Hope’s bed. And if the body turned towards me, a hand on my shoulder, probably to shrug me awake, was any indication, next to Hope. The girl I was having a wet dream about.

“Josie, you okay? You… You said my name.” She said with concern laced in her voice.

A slight blush crept up my cheeks as I diverted my gaze to the edge of the bed.

“I’m fine.” I replied, an octave higher than usual, hoping that Hope hadn’t noticed. Naturally, she had, as when I looked up, I saw her facing away from me, hiding her own blush.

A small part of me wanted her to turn her head to face me, so I could see the effect I had on her. Another, larger part of me, was still very flustered and embarrassed by what had just happened. Thankfully, a small knock on the door pulled us out of the awkwardness. Hope got up and walked over to the door. She opened it slightly, large enough for her head to pop out.

“Auntie Bex.” She said with a hint of surprise. “What are you doing here?” Her right foot started rubbing against the back of her leg.

“I wanted to have breakfast with my niece.” Her aunt replied.

As Hope and Rebekah were talking, I quietly shuffled out of bed and got dressed. Once I was done, the door closed and Hope was leaning her head against the door, her eyes closed. Tentatively, I walked closer to her.

“Hope?” I asked as I approached her. She lifted her hand in a stop motion, then brought her finger to her lips and motioned to her ear. I stopped walking and stayed silent until Hope pushed herself off the door and turned around.

“Sorry, but vamp hearing and all.” She said, motioning to the door where her aunt had just been moments ago.

I nodded slightly before speaking. “I- I need to go. Lizzie must be wondering where I am.” I walked over to the door, my hand on the doorknob, and opened it. “I’ll see you?”

“Yeah.” Hope replied before I walked out.

The hallway was empty for this time of the morning. However, each person who passed me, bumped my shoulder, or tried to trip me. Nevertheless, I kept on walking towards my room as if nothing was wrong. I was close to my room when, out of nowhere, someone threw a cup of cold water on me. I shuddered as the liquid seeped through my pyjama top. I heard faint footsteps retreating and someone yelling I’m melting, I’m melting, down the corridor, in a fit of laughter.

I groaned, frustrated, slightly embarrassed and marched back to my room.

*

After my little chat with Lizzie, I changed clothes and planned on spending the entire day in my room. By the time lunch came around, my stomach was betraying my plan to stay in my room as it started to grumble loudly. I hadn’t eaten yet, but I didn’t want to eat in the cafeteria with everyone else. So, instead, I opted to wait for the end of lunch to go to the kitchen and eat whatever veggie leftovers were left.

That’s exactly what I did. Once the shuffling of feet from the end of lunch dissipated, I slipped out of my room and walked towards the kitchen. I, cautiously, walked inside, making sure no one was there. I really didn’t want to see anyone, having someone throw a drink on you does that to people.

When I reached the fridge, I pulled a veggie lasagna out of it. Walking around the counter, I prepared my own plate and heated it up in the microwave. As I waited, I drifted off to one of the windows looking out to the garden around the school. I watched the students; some were walking around, huddled together whilst others, mostly the younger ones, were running around, playing tag. I jumped slightly when a loud thud resonated off the window. I looked down to see Pedro panting, his head turned to his friends smiling. Then, he was gone in a heartbeat. Giggles and squeals filled the air around them, and I smiled, thinking back to simpler times when that was me and Lizzie. My attention, then, drifted to the edge of the forest. That’s when I saw her. The witch the Mikaelsons were talking about at the dinner last night.

Hope had captured her beauty amazingly well, but I didn’t have time to dwell on that because soon, Pedro had abandoned the game to go and talk to her. I eyed the encounter curiously. Suddenly, a voice coming from behind me snatched my attention.

“Josie?” Kol Mikaelson asked as he walked in.

I eyed him for barely a second before focusing back on Pedro and that witch. I could hear him walking closer to me, until I saw him in my peripheral vision. He stood next to me, his eyebrows crinkled, glimpsing out of the window and then at me.

“What are you looking at?” He asked me.

“The witch that attacked Davina, she’s here.” I said, pointing to where Pedro and the witch were talking.

“What?” He said, looking back frantically, searching for her. “Where?”

“At the edge of the forest. Pedro is with him.” I said, still eyeing the two.

He must have seen them because he was gone in a flash and reappeared in the garden in the exact spot where I was looking. Except, Pedro and the witch were gone.

**Lizzie’s POV**

“What the fuck was that?” I snapped once the door to dad’s office slammed shut. All eyes that were previously fixed on where Hope had stormed out suddenly landed on me. “She’s already been through so much and you decided to what? Guilt trip her? Make her feel like crap? Well, congratulations, mission completed, you did just that!” I ranted before rushing to catch up with Hope.

However, the hallway was empty with no sign of Hope. With an annoyed huff, I started my walk towards her dorm room. Once I reached it, her door was shut. I pressed an ear against it and heard soft sniffles coming from the other side. I went to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. So, I knocked softly on the door.

“Hope?” I whispered. No answer. “Listen. What they said was crap and you know it. It was just said in the heat of the moment. It’ll blow over.”

It was at this moment I wished I had Josie next to me. She would know exactly what to say. Alas she wasn’t, she was god knows where whilst I was stuck comforting Hope.

The small sniffles ceased long enough for a hoarse “Go away, Lizzie” to be said from the tribrid.

“Hope.” I nearly pleaded, but I was met once again with soft sobs. An irritated puff escaped my lips for the second time that day.

_What was with the Mikaelsons today?_

“Fine, suite yourself. I was only trying to help.” I mumbled before walking away, in search of my twin.

It took me twenty minutes to find my sister, in the kitchen no less. She was facing the window with a blank face. Walking over to her, I called her name. She instantly turned around.  
“What’s up, Lizzie?” She asked me, with a smile adorning her lips.

With my eyebrows furrowed, I motioned to behind me. “You should go see Hope.” I said, before glancing out the window. When I looked back to Josie, she stared at me with curious eyes.

“Why?” She asked.

“Let’s just say, the Mikaelsons are just as clueless as they are absent in regard to Hope.” I sighed. “Just go.” I said, pushing her slightly. She glanced back at me, worriedly, before jogging to Hope’s room.

Seconds later, Kol Mikaelson vamp sped into the room.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hope’s POV**

Cocooned in my duvet, I was curled up in a ball on my bed. Some wet strands of hair were stuck to my face as I cried. It felt childish, crying. I already knew I was broken, but to hear my Aunt Freya say so was… I wasn’t ready for it. Lizzie’s attempt at – what was it? – comforting me? was a failure. Honestly, I just wanted to stay in my room and never leave.

My eyelids grew heavier with every minute I lay on my bed. The room was silent, as I had no more tears left to cry. Yet, the pounding in my head stopped me from drifting off to sleep. Instead, my mind would play Freya’s words on repeat.

_None of them broke you like the Necromancer did!_

_Broke_ as in broken. _How long had she seen me as broken? Does the rest of my family feel that way? Am I really broken?_

A turmoil of emotions was going through me. Anger, frustration, sadness. How was I supposed to face the world if the ones who supposedly loved me saw me as a fragile Chinese doll? I jumped into Malivore and came back to a world where no one remembered me, and when they did, they didn’t fucking care! I lived through my parents, Elijah’s and Landon’s deaths, did I not? I was worse off then than now, and did they do anything? No! So, what in their right minds gave them the right to say I was broken!?

“Hope?” Josie’s soft voice asked through the door. “Can I come in?”

I was hesitant. The last thing I wanted was for someone else to see me _broken_. So, I stayed silent, a part of me wishing she would go away. But Josie was having none of that. After what was only a minute or two of silence, when I thought she had left, the door to my room burst open. The bright light entering my room was partially covered by Josie’s silhouette. I squinted at the first ray. As soon as I entered my room, I had closed the curtains and buried my head in my bed. I was bathing in darkness before she barged in.

I groaned and pulled my duvet over my face to hide the light, and maybe my puffy eyes and wet cheeks from Josie. I heard the door close before the sound of shuffling feet reached my bed. The mattress dipped a few centimetres away from my stomach, then the duvet was softly being tugged out of my grasp.

“Hope?” She called out. As my eyes were being uncovered, she added “What happened?”

“Nothin-“

“It’s not nothing if you’re crying, Hope.” Josie said sternly, cutting me off before I could lie.

I tried hiding behind my covers again, but Josie had a tight grip on them and looked at me with so much concern in her eyes, I gave up. My mouth opened and closed a few times before I mustered up the courage to ask.

“Do you think I’m broken?” I asked, my voice wavering at the end, but I swallowed the lump in my throat, waiting for her answer.

“What? Of course not, Hope-” She said frantically.

“The truth, Josie.” I said impatiently. I couldn’t stand being lied to right now.

Her eyes searched mine for a minute before she spoke again. Her voice was soft, like a whisper when she said “Hope, you’ve been through a lot. More than others. But you’ve always come out stronger. Life throws at you only what you can handle, and you can handle a lot. But no, you’re not broken, Hope. If anything, you’re the fiercest person I know.”

By then, she had fully uncovered my face and tucked a strand of my wet hair behind my ear. Her hand cupping my cheek, she leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on my forehead. My heart fluttered at the gesture, and before I knew what I was doing, I lunged forward and connected our lips. I tried to convey all my emotions for her in that one kiss.

_The longing, the passion, the desire and the love._

My hand found its way up to her neck, bringing her closer to me as her hand that was cupping my cheek was now tangled in my hair. We only parted when our lungs screamed for oxygen, and even then, we were only inches away from each other. Her panting breaths were brushing against my lips in the hottest way possible. I lifted my gaze from her lips to her eyes. The pool of brown was replaced by fully dilated pupils, and a warmth spread to the pit of my stomach.

“Jo” I started, but was stopped by the wet, full lips of Josette Saltzman. A moan escaped my throat as she licked my bottom lip and deepened the kiss. I was intoxicated by all things Josie as our kiss became more heated. However, it was cut short by a frantic knock at the door. 

Josie groaned as she pulled away, then collapsed on the bed, trying to catch her breath. I climbed out of my duvet and walked over to the other side of the room, then opened the door.  
“What?” I asked in annoyance.

Kol eyed me up and down, then peered his head inside. Instinctively, I pulled the door closer to me, blocking the view. With a knowing look and a glint in his eyes, his gaze fell back onto me.

“You are needed in the headmaster’s office.” He said then slowly turned around. Before he left, he turned his head and added “You too, Josie. And next time use a silencing spell, you never know who’s listening.” Then chuckled as he left. 

I rolled my eyes as I closed the door. Once I turned around, I was met with a dishevelled Josie sitting embarrassed on my bed. Her hands were fidgeting in her lap and her eyes were fixed on a spot in front of her. 

“Jo?” I asked, taking a few steps forward. Instantly, her eyes snapped up at the sound of my voice.

“Hope. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over m-” She started to ramble before I cut her off.

“What do you mean? I kissed you first.” I said, fidgeting with my own hands.

Josie shook her head. “You were emotional, and I- I took advantage of that.” She bowed her head in shame. 

I walked up to the bed and knelt in front of her. Reaching out for her hands, I spoke softly. “Josie, I’ve been wanting to kiss you for weeks. Look, I really like you and that kiss was amazing. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. I would love to explore this. Us. I mean if you want an us. If you don’t, I completely understand.” I rambled, looking anywhere but at Josie. 

A chuckle filling the room and a finger under my chin that brought me to lock eyes with Josie, made the butterflies in my stomach sore. Josie wore a soft smile as she looked at me.

“I would love for there to be an us.” She said, bringing a smile to my lips.

A few minutes later, Josie and I were standing in Doctor S’ office with the rest of the Saltzman’s and Mikaelson’s. Doctor Saltzman stood around his desk, with Aunt Freya and uncle Kol beside him. Kol still had the same knowing look in his eyes when Josie and I sat on the sofa, next to Lizzie who eyed me with worry. I didn’t want to be anywhere near my family, not after the last time I was in this room, yet here I was.

“Right, now that everyone is here.” The twins’ dad started. “We should discuss what Josie and Kol saw earlier.”

I turned my head to Josie questioningly, who muttered a “I totally forgot” under her breath. However, in a room where only two people didn’t have super hearing, her comment didn’t go unnoticed.

“What do you mean you forgot?” Aunt Freya asked exasperated. “It barely happened half an hour ago.”

“Sorry, but some of us were busy caring about others.” I spat; my eyes fixed on a spot in front of me. I couldn’t stand Aunt Freya’s voice right now. I could feel my resentment for her boil as my hands balled into fists. But the sudden warmth of Josie’s hand on mine, unfolding my fist and tangling our fingers together, relaxed me. I turned my head towards her and gave her a smile in thanks.

Doctor Saltzman cleared his throat before continuing. “Right, well, Kol and Josie saw the witch on school grounds again. Only this time she took Pedro with her.”

At this, Lizzie stood up abruptly. “Um… Then what are we waiting for? Let’s do a location spell and kick some witch ass.”

“I agree.” Josie chimed in. “Waiting around for her to come back is unsustainable. If she has Pedro, then we can find them. All we need is something of his.”

Lizzie nodded, then waltzed out of the room. Instantly, the atmosphere changed to one of awkwardness. I brought Josie and my intertwined hands on my lap and started fiddling with them. Josie had her head rested on my shoulder, whilst my family kept glimpsing at each other like lost puppies.

It must have been a minute or two since no one spoke, yet those 120 seconds felt like forever. As the uneasiness was setting in, my Aunt Freya walked hesitantly up to me.

“Hope.” She said, as her feet stopped a few inches in front of me.

“Don’t. You’ve said enough.” I said, as the back of my throat started to burn, holding back the unshed tears.

“Hope, I didn’t mean what I said!” She exclaimed before taking a long, shuddering, breath. “I was worried. I’m always worried. I was frustrated, you went behind our backs and made a deal with the monster that messed with you.”

“A lot of the monsters have messed with us, it’s kinda their thing.”

“You know what I mean. You called me that night, remember? Hope, you were crying and… I hadn’t seen you like that since your father…” She let the weight of the unsaid words float in the air for a few seconds, before continuing. “I’m sorry, Hope.”

Josie squeezed my hand, probably putting the pieces together in her mind. I didn’t dare look at her, but I did stare up at my aunt whose gaze never left me.

“You still think I’m broken. You wouldn’t have said it if some part of you didn’t believe it. You all probably do.” I said, swallowing the growing lump in my throat as my gaze fell upon every living member of my family.

“No, we don’t kiddo.” This time it was Marcel who spoke up from his spot in the corner of the room. He was leaning on a wooden bookshelf, his arms crossed against his chest. Once he started talking, he pushed himself off it and took a few steps forward. “You’re a Mikaelson through and through. And the best parts at that. Trust me, I lived with them long enough to know.” He said with a wink. “You aren’t as broken as any of us. So, no, we don’t think you’re broken.”

I was about to answer when Lizzie walked back into the room with a teddy bear clenched in her arms.

“Alright bitches, let’s do this thing.” She said, standing in the center of the room, all eyes on her.

**3rd person’s POV**

The cool evening air brushed through Shabinna’s hair as she knelt on the ground, a pentagram in front of her. Beside her was a bowl full of a mixture of herbs and her voodoo doll. A candle was placed at each end of the pentagram and lit up with a simple mutter of a spell and a flick of the wrist. A smirk found it’s way on her lips as she eyed her work, anticipating what’s to come next.

Reaching out for the bowl, Shabinna’s eyes flickered to the shadow of a figure lurking behind a tombstone. With a deep sigh, she placed the dish in the centre of her pentagram and turned to said shadow.

“What is it now?” She asked with a hint of exasperation in her voice.

The sight of a hideous, decaying face appeared; a smile plastered on his chapped lips.

“I came to say the boys are ready. Each knows what they are to do and know the consequences if they don’t.” He said as he walked closer to her until he reached her preparations.

“Good. And do you have what I need?” The witch asked in a monotonous tone.

“Yes, Pedro managed to collect the DNA of every witch in the Salvatore School and put it in this.” He said as he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a plastic bag filled to the brim with strands of hair and nail clippings. The Necromancer threw it on the floor, landing gracefully near Shabinna’s feet.

“Perfect. We should be ready by nightfall. As soon as the sun’s set, I’ll cast the spell and every witch in that school shall be under my control.” Shabinna said with a glint in her eyes.

“How is that revenge for what Kol did to you exactly?” Chad, one of the Necromancer’s minions that the witch despised, asked. He stood a few feet away from his master, far enough away to go unnoticed by Shabinna at least.

Her eyes flickered to him for a few moments before she rolled her eyes at him.

“Once I control the witches, I’ll have enough power at my disposition to kill that tribrid niece of his and his wife.” Her annoyance was apparent as she let out another deep sigh. Chad’s lips parted, ready to ask another question, but was silenced by who put her hand up, indicating him to stop, as she turned her focus back to her work.

“Send them in. I’ll start the spell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They finally kissed! :)   
> Let me know what you guys though!  
> And thanks for sticking with me. I plan on finishing this story before the 26th of august so stay tuned!


	16. Chapter 16

**Hope’s POV**

“So? Where are they?” Lizzie asked as both our eyes shot up, our hands still clasped together.

Josie and I turned to the group of people waiting impatiently for our answer. My eyes skimmed the familiar heads until I found Davina’s who stood between Auntie Bex and Uncle Kol.

“They’re on their way.” I said. “And they’re coming for Aunt Davina and I.”

The room erupted in chatter, some (Uncle Kol) louder than others. Aunt Freya took a few steps forward then whirled around, facing everyone.

“Hold on.” She said, her arms extended. “Do you girls know why they’re after you specifically?” She asked, turning her head towards me.

I was about to answer when Josie cut me off.

“Something about exacting revenge on Kol.” Every head then turned to my uncle.

“I thought you said you didn’t recognise her, hmm?” Auntie Bex said, her arms crossed, and her head held high as if to say _I told you so_.

Davina shook her head. “Whether he remembers her and what he did or not doesn’t matter. We only need to stop her. Did she say what she was planning? Any hints? Or ingredients you saw?” She asked Josie and me.

“She had a mixture of herbs in a bowl, a pentagram, a voodoo doll, and every witch in Salvatore’s DNA.” I answered slightly confused by the contents the witch needed for her spells.

“What sort of fucked up magic is that?” Lizzie exclaimed from her side of the room. Her dad hummed in agreement.

The room fell silent after that, each person deep in thought until-

“Oh fuck.” Uncle Kol muttered under his breath. He reached his temples and started to rub them, his eyes shutting slightly.

“What?” Aunt Freya eyed her brother closely, her brows furrowing.

“I remember. A few decades back, I was following a lead on a coven that excelled in voodoo magic. Specifically, Louisiana voodoo.”

“I’ve never met any-” Aunt Freya started, but was cut off by uncle Kol waving his hand in an attempt to shush her.

“Most fled when Marcel declared himself king of New Orleans, the rest followed once he recruited Davina who could sense anyone doing any magic.” He continued. “When I found them, they didn’t appreciate an original walking about. So, they tried to get rid of me. Needless to say, it ended badly for them. I didn’t think I left any survivors.”

Davina’s face flashed numerous emotions: sadness, anger, hurt, betrayal.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, her eyes displaying only a hint of what she was probably feeling.

“It was a lapse in judgment I didn’t want to burden you with.” He replied, his gaze fixed on Davina’s.

Aunt Davina pursed her lips, her eyes in slits, as she pondered. Finally, she muttered something along the lines as _we’ll talk about this later_ then motioned for Aunt Freya to speak.

“Right, well, with what the girls have found out we must assume that whatever the voodoo witch’s spell is, it lets her control the ones whose DNA she has.” My aunt said.

“According to the Necromancer, Pedro managed to get every witch’s DNA in the school.” Josie added as an afterthought.

Lizzie grumbled. “I didn’t sign up to be a minion.”

“You didn’t sign up for anything Lizzie, now shut up.” Josie snarled before turning to Aunt Freya and me. “So, what’s the plan?”

*

Aunt Davina and I were split up. Uncle Kol was to join her alongside Lizzie whilst Josie and auntie Bex stayed with me. We had barely stepped foot outside of the school’s main entrance when we were greeted by a smirking MG and a zombie like version of Pedro. The young boy’s arms were limp, his face drooping down yet his gaze was simultaneously shifting between my aunt and me.

“Well, this makes things a lot simpler.” MG smirked, a flame flickering in his eyes. His smirk evolved into a wide grin where his fangs descended from his gums and the veins around his eyes turned black. “Who’s first?”

He took a step forward, towards Aunt Davina, and uncle Kol tried to protect her but was flung backwards. He flew back into the school, skidding to a halt at the foot of the steps down the living area. A low growl protruded my lips as I watched my family hit the floor. My eyes turned golden as they landed back on Pedro. He seemed unfazed by it; his eyes glazed over as if he were in a trance. Quickly, my head snapped round to a squealing Lizzie whose eyes were shut tightly as MG’s hand gripped her neck firmly. Josie took a step forward, but MG’s hold only tightened.

“Take one more step and she’s dinner.”

Josie retreated, falling back in line beside auntie Bex and me. Aunt Davina, whilst MG was distracted, went to go check on her husband who was now in a fighting stance where he fell. Auntie Bex, however, seemed unfazed by the danger Lizzie was in, as she advanced. A small whimper escaped the blond twin’s lips as MG’s fangs now hovered over her shoulder and neck, grazing the skin ever so slightly. If he started to feed, then there would be no saving Lizzie.

“Auntie Bex, what are you doing? You’ll kill her!” I whisper yelled.

“Darling, it’s not a newbie vampire that’s going to scare me.” She waved off, never turning to face me as she replied.

“So be it then.” Mg said before sinking his teeth into Lizzie.

As MG was draining Lizzie, her skin started to pale. The pink in her cheeks dissipated and her eyes started to role in the back of her head whilst she shed a single tear. Josie was shocked in horror, her eyes transfixed on the scene in front of her, disbelieving.

I hadn’t noticed I was rushing to Lizzie until I felt a thud against my stomach. I looked down to see Auntie Bex’s hand holding me back. Confused and frustrated, I looked back at the scene. That’s when I saw Marcel standing inches in front of MG, holding powder in his hand that he blew in his face. Then his fangs retracted as he collapsed onto Lizzie, both fell to the ground. 

Josie rushed to her sister’s side, kneeling alongside her, her hand on her neck checking for a pulse. Marcel, for his part, picked MG up and walked inside the school, he turned left, probably to the transitioning cells. Auntie Bex was about to follow, but I grabbed her wrist before she could. My eyes turned to slits, my nose crunched up and my brows furrowed.

“What the hell?” I fumed.

“Relax, it was a part of the plan.” She answered back.

“Plan? How could you have known what was going to happen? Lizzie was in danger!” I exclaimed.

Auntie Bex’s eyes shifted from my eyes to my hand around her wrist. “The twins drank some vampire blood before we left, and Marcel was following us just in case.”

I let go as I heard the twins drank vampire blood. My head snapped to Josie whose hands were resting on her legs as she watched her unconscious sister. She must have felt someone watching her because she turned her head and our eyes locked.

“Is she…?” Josie shook her head before I could finish my sentence. A shuddering breath left my lips as I nodded, my fingers gliding through my hair. Lizzie was fine. She was alive.

Suddenly, I remembered –

“Where’s Pedro?” I skimmed the grounds and he was nowhere to be seen. “Fuck.” I cursed under my breath.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I'm sorry for disappearing on you guys. I kind of lost inspiration ngl. Hopefully you like this chapter. I can’t say when I’ll update next, it all depends on my studies. Other than that, enjoy ;)

**Lizzie's POV**

I woke up with a sharp pain in my head, pressure thumping behind my eyelids. Sitting up slowly with my hand on my temples, I tried to take in my senses. The sheets that were covering my body were now bunched around my waist, I shivered as the cool air hit my bare arms. I sighed as the sweet smell of my scented candle reached my nostrils. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The sun was barely shining through the curtains of my shared room. Glancing at the clock I noticed it was already quarter past nine.

_That was weird._

Usually Josie would have woken me up by now, or at the very least opened the curtains.

Turning my head towards my twin's bed I noticed it was already made. The pillows were fluffed, the sheets were pristine and the little stuffed bunny lay against the sheets as if it were sleeping.

_Dork._

Yanking the sheets off of me, I threw my legs over the bed frame and rested my feet against the cold floorboard. The thumping was fading, although not as fast as I would have liked.

Slowly, I reached for my water bottle that rested on my night stand and took a gulp of water before standing up.

Fumbling a little, I managed to get changed. Glimpsing at the clock again, I noticed it was nearing half past nine.

Walking out of my room, I realised the halls were empty. That wouldn't surprise me on a weekday since it would be the second period. However, if I weren't mistaken it was Saturday. Usually the halls would have a few hungover teens walking around with sunglasses on, sporting some form of comfortable clothing. Or music playing in one of the rooms. Room 105 always has some form of indie music playing come rain or shine, but even as I walked past that door there was nothing.

Something was off.

Walking towards my dad's office, I barely registered the figure following behind me. It wasn't until I was seconds away from knocking on the door that they spoke.

"You're awake."

I jumped back slightly (only slightly) before turning towards the familiar voice.

"Why wouldn't I be? Do I need to explain the concept of sleep? Spoiler alert, you wake up when it's over."

"Not always." she mumbled before walking in front of me and entering the room.

Without dwelling on her words, I followed behind her.

"Lizzie! You're awake!" Dad sighed happily. Before I knew it, he held me in his embrace.

Scrunching my eyebrows together, I pushed him back by the shoulders.

"Am I missing something here? Why is everyone treating me like sleeping beauty - I mean it's about time you started treating me like royalty -"

Hope and dad shared a look which in turn made me slow down. "Okay, seriously, what's going on?"

Taking a step back, dad looked at me as if he were searching for something.

"What's the last thing you remember, sweetie?" He asked.

Huddled around dad's desk were the remaining Mikaelsons and dad. Josie and I were sitting on the sofa not far away. Hope for some reason joined us. Now I was squished between the arm rest and Josie.

_Great._

_Just great._

Josie's shaking leg wasn't helping the case. Quite the opposite actually. It felt like I was sitting on a fucking bouncy castle.

To try and distract myself I turned my gaze towards the desk - it was better than sending daggers with my eyes to my twin. Freya was hunched over a map, I presume, of Mystic Falls. Her fist was clutching onto some herbs as the other one was currently being held by Davina. The chant they were using sounded foreign - definitely not something school sanctioned for sure. Rolling my eyes at that thought I suddenly noticed the sofa was no longer having a mini earthquake. Glancing down Josie's leg, I noticed a hand resting on her knee. My eyebrows scrunched together. 

_Why the fuck was Hope Mikaelson's hand on my sister's leg?_

Looking up at them, I noticed Josie's cheeks reddening whilst Hope had a small smile tugging at her lips.

Clearing my throat, and straightening myself, I readied myself to confront them when the doors to the office blew open. Barely a second had passed before the stillness was broken.

"We've found her."

"Rafael's gone."

At this point I was sitting on the sofa, dad by my side as I recalled what happened. Hope was sitting on the coffee table, her posture as rigid as a statue. Looking closer, I noticed her puffy cheeks and downcast look. It was a stark contrast to when I last saw her, all bad ass and ready to fight.

"How?" Dad asked, marching towards Marcel, tightening his fists.

"I don't know." Marcel replied. Swiftly, he glanced at my dad's fists then looked up. "Look, punching something or someone isn't going to help. So, maybe, calm down and we'll come up with a plan to find him."

"Wherever that witch is, he'll be." Davina said from beside Freya.

"Maybe, but we can't be certain." Freya said looking at the map.

"Then we'll split up." Dad said matter of factly.

I shook my head slightly before resting my head in my hand, leaning against the armrest of the sofa. This whole situation was ridiculous. First Josie was consumed by dark magic. Then dark Josie curses MG forcing him to have even less control of his blood lust. Then Hope jumped into Josie's subconscious and we got Josie back but we lost MG, and Rafael and Landon are dead. The Necromancer is back, a witch is out for revenge, Rafael is gone. And god knows what's happening between Josie and Hope.

Looking towards those two, I noticed their hands were intertwined... Seriously, what did I miss?

"The witch is our first priority. We should be focused on vanquishing her and the Necromancer." Freya said exasperatedly.

"What about Rafael? He's still a student here, we can't abandon him." Dad spat.

Freya sighed, resting her palms on the desk, leaning over it slightly. Looking directly into dad's eyes she spoke in with a clear voice.

"That witch is trying to kill members of my family and will succeed if we don't stop her. Rafael is already dead, he will disappear as soon as we kill the Necromancer. Going after him will be a waste of time. We. Are. Not. Splitting. Up. And that's final."

Worriedly I turned towards dad who was seething with rage. His eyes were dark, staring at Freya with a hatred I had never seen on his face before. He took a threatening step forward. In my peripheral vision I saw Hope tensing up on the sofa. But before he could do something stupid, like oh I don’t know attack a Mikaelson witch, Rebekah stood before him, her hand on his chest. 

“I wouldn’t.” She said actively. “Unless you want your daughters to see something that will scar them for life.” 

Glancing at us, his facial features visibly relaxed. He sighed eventually, then stepped back. He didn’t say anything else after that. 

“Good choice.” Rebekah said, lowering her hand. “Now.” She said in a more playful tone. “Who’s up for some witch hunting?” 

“Finally.” Kol muttered under his breath, getting a few approving hums, even one from our very own tribrid. 

"We're going to have to move fast. According to what the girls saw, we have until sundown before she performs the spell. Once she has that power, it will practically be impossible to stop her." Freya said, her eyes drifting back to the map. 

"Then we'll have to kill her before sundown." Hope said casually, sitting up from her seat and marching towards the map. She hovered over it, not nearly as close as she could be. She's probably still mad at her aunt, I know I would be. 

"We'll split into pairs and attack from different corners of the area." She added.

_Careful Hope, you're letting your alpha showing._

"Marcel and Kol and Lizzie, you'll attack from the East. Keelin and Freya, you'll attack from the South. Rebekah, Davina and Alaric, you guys will attack from the West. As for me and Josie, we'll take North. Got it? " Hope finally looked up at the room in front of her. Her gaze flickering between all of us, her hand resting on the map, similarly to how Freya's was. 

We all gave some sort of agreement, even dad who had an indecipherable look on his face. 

"Good." she said, folding up the map and tucking it in her pocket. "Let's go then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly don't know how to feel about this one

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it  
> 


End file.
